


I've Been Here All Along

by bruinsand1d22



Category: Brad Marchand - Fandom, Bryler, Hockey RPF, Tyler Seguin - Fandom, boston bruins - Fandom
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-02
Updated: 2014-02-14
Packaged: 2017-12-16 20:18:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/866197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bruinsand1d22/pseuds/bruinsand1d22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brad and Tyler have been best friends for years now, so when Tyler starts acting weird Brad knows there must be something up. What he discovers though, is something neither of them saw coming, something that could either tear them apart, or make them closer than ever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

Flying. That’s what it felt like. The wind roaring past your ears, feet barely touching the ice. It’s part of the reason Tyler loves to play hockey, it made him feel almost supernatural.

Of course, he also loved playing because he got to spend time with Brad. Brad has been Tyler’s best friend for almost three years. When Tyler had been drafted by the Boston Bruins in 2010, he had immediately been drawn to Brad and his crazy personality. Together they had took Boston by storm, hitting up parties, meeting girls, but most importantly giving their team the boost they needed to win the Stanley Cup in 2011.

As Tyler’s best friend knew everything about him. They basically shared each others’ houses, were good friends with each others’ family, and always had each others’ back. Recently though, Tyler had been acting different around his best friend. Brad had a new girlfriend, Katrina, and Tyler didn’t know how to explain it, but whenever she was around, Tyler felt almost… protective.

Like last night, when Brad, _her_ , Tyler, Looch and Tuukka had gone out to dinner. Tyler had immediately groaned when he walked into The Fours and saw Katrina sitting in his usual spot to the right of Brad. But what really got him angry was later on when she went to hit Brad on the shoulder for saying something “rude”, and had knocked her beer over, covering Brad’s crotch in the shitty light beer. To make matters worse, Brad was wearing the pants Tyler had sent him from Sweden when he had been playing over there, and now they were destroyed.

“Fuck”, Brad muttered as Katrina tried to pat at his pants with her napkin.

“I’m so sorry babe,” She gushed, but Brad pushed her hands away.

“I’m going to the bathroom.”

Brad left the table with a huff, and with a final evil, raised brow glare, Tyler pushed back from the table and followed him.

When he got to the men’s room, he found Brad leaning against the sink in his boxers, the Swedish pants in his hands as he viciously scrubbed at them. Hearing the door open, he turned to find Tyler staring at him with a combined look of worry, and something Brad couldn’t quite place… hunger?

“The pants are fucking ruined Ty,” Brad stated frustratingly, tossing them on the counter. Tyler swore he heard Brad mutter something like “fucking klutz” but he couldn’t be sure.

“It’s okay, they weren’t expensive,” Tyler lied, knowing it was worth is as he saw Brad smile a little. “I have a spare pair of shorts in my car if you want them,” Tyler offered, bringing the attention back to the fact that his best friend was standing there in his boxers.

Brad looked down at his blue boxers lined with pink flowers, not really feelings embarrassed because, hey, Tyler’s seen it all.

“You mean I can’t go back out there like this?” Brad jokingly asked.

“Not unless you want Milan to call you daisy for the rest of the season!”

With that, Brad threw his head back, letting out his high-pitched Canadian cackle. Tyler joined in, and pretty soon they were both in hysterics. Brad started doing weird dance moves, throwing his hands up and thrusting his boxer-covered hips back a fourth. He looked up and saw his best friend’s cheeks had turned pink. _That’s weird,_ Brad thought, _Tyler’s always joined in, not gotten weird._ Brad stopped flailing and smiled at Tyler.

“I’ll go get the shorts,” Tyler said quickly, turning and rushing out the door.

“Yeah, I’ll just wait here!” Brad yelled sarcastically, hearing a chuckle before the door closed.

After Tyler left, Brad boosted himself onto the counter and sat hoping no one would walk in and wonder why there was a pants-less bruin in the bathroom. Brad thought back to Tyler’s face when he was dancing. He had almost looked… shy. Shy was not a word commonly used when describing Tyler. Maybe sensitive, but never shy.

This wasn’t the first time Tyler had acted weird lately. Brad had noticed it mostly in the locker room when sex came up, and Brad would catch Ty looking at him from across the room. Dougie had mentioned to Brad that he thought Segs had a crush on him, but Brad had brushed it off, cause, I mean, Tyler’s his best friend. But was Dougie right?

Brad tossed the thought in his mind. Tyler didn’t seem gay? Like he always had girls all over him at clubs? Brad tried to remember the last time he had seen Tyler go home with a girl… _I honestly can’t fucking remember… oh my god_. So, maybe, possibly, Tyler kind of wasn’t into girls anymore, or sex, or, god Brad couldn’t find a reason. But it definitely wasn’t cause of Brad, no, no, Tyler would have told him. Right? I mean, don’t get me wrong, Brad wouldn’t care if Ty liked him more than a friend. I mean, who wouldn’t want someone that sexy as a boyfriend. Like, imagine the things he could to with arms like that. And his abs… and Brad knew first hand that Tyler’s dick was up to par and-

“Fresh outta my gym bag bud,” and suddenly Brad was knocked out of his train of thought with a face bull of polyester.

“Oh, uh, thanks,” Brad stumbled, jumping off the counter and pulling on the shorts. They had “Seguin 19” written on the leg, and were a couple sizes too big, which was good cause it allowed coverage for Brad’s strangely hard dick. Brad’s eyes widened when he remember how it happened. Oh god.

“They fit okay?” Tyler asked, seemingly oblivious to Brad’s racing mind.

“Yeah they’re perfect.”

“Good, cause dinner was just brought out,” Tyler said with a smile, pushing the door open and holding it as Brad grabbed the ruined pants and followed.

When they got back to the table Brad quickly slid into his seat and started eating, occasionally looking up at his best friend’s face. When Tyler caught him looking, Brad crossed his eyes and smiled, laughing when Tyler pretended to pick his nose. _There’s no way he likes me, right?_ Shit, Brad had a lot to figure out.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brad and Tyler have been best friends for years now, so when Tyler starts acting weird Brad knows there must be something up. What he discovers though, is something neither of them saw coming, something that could either tear them apart, or make them closer than ever.

It had been two weeks since the pants-ruining dinner, and things had gone back to normal for Brad and Tyler. Well, kind of. They still hung out, still created magic on the ice, but when it came to chirping each other, they were almost more gentle, more forgiving.

It wasn’t that Tyler was acting differently on purpose, it was just since that night, Brad hadn’t been beating him up or making fun of him, and Tyler wasn’t didn’t want to be the one to start it. Besides, with this nicer Brad came less talk of the devil girlfriend, which was awesome.

It was February 17th, the game versus Winnepeg, and Tyler had his headphones on, leaning back with his eyes closed in his space in the locker room. He was relaxed, never having too many pregame jitters. He kept his arms flexed though, you know, in case Brad was watching.

It was a Sunday, a quiet day for most of the Bruins, and the usually rambunctious players in the locker room were looking for trouble. Brad spotted Krejci saunter in from the shower area, looking over at Tyler and smirking when he saw his eyes closed.

“Do it, do it!” Lucic chanted, bringing the attention of everyone in the locker room to Krejci, who was now crouched down in front of Tyler’s resting form, appearing to be tying his skates together. Brad chuckled, anticipating how Tyler’s confident and focused form was doomed to take a tumble.

Just as Krejci stood up, nodding his head in approval of his work, the locker room door opened and Claude came in, followed by multiple camera crews and local reporters.

Uh oh. Brad was fine with the team laughing at Tyler’s misfortune, but if the media witnessed it, he’d never hear the end of it from players on the other teams and those dumb sports writers. Brad watched as Claude made his rounds throughout the locker room, checking in with Chara’s sore hip, Thorty’s ankle, other odds and ends. Stopping at Tyler, Coach turned and looked at Brad.

“Should I disturb him?” Claude asked, and Brad laughed, picking up an empty Gatorade bottle and tossing it at Tyler. It hit his neck with a thud, causing him to jump and throw his hands up in defense. Seeing it was Coach standing in front of him, Tyler reddened, pulling the headphones out of his ears. They started to talk, and Brad when back to taping his stick.

After meeting with everyone, Coach left the locker room, and Big Z announced they were lining up to take the ice for warm ups. Brad quickly slipped his jersey over his head and looked over at Tyler, who was pulling on his gloves and going to stand up. Brad knew his teammates were still in the locker room to make sure they witnessed Tyler’s big fall, and all the cameras were trained on the last guy to get up.

“Wait, Segs, do you still have my old gloves?” Brad yelled across the locker room in an effort to stop Tyler from getting up.

“Um, let me check in my stuff,” Tyler responded, turning and reaching into his cubby area in search of Brad’s gloves. “I don’t see them Brad.”

“You sure?” Brad insisted, going over and sticking his head next to Tyler’s. “They tied your laces,” Brad whispered, throwing Tyler’s tie in the air.

“Huh?”

“You're skates Ty. French fries tied them together earlier.”

Tyler pulled back out of his cubby and looked down. Brad was right, his skates were tied. Pretending to scratch his leg, Tyler leaned down and adjusted his skate.

“Hey, who tied my laces together?” Tyler fake-questioned. Brad pulled his head out of Tyler’s cubby, hearing Krejci and the rest of the team laugh as Tyler retied his skates.

“Come on guys, Coach is waiting,” one of the trainers yelled down the hallway. Everyone started to shuffle onto the ice, the media trailing behind with Brad and Tyler pulling up the rear. Right before they got to the tunnel, Tyler pulled Brad back from the line, placing one of his giant hands on the shorter man’s shoulder, and the other one on his hipbone, inside of his padded pants.

“Thanks,” Tyler whispered, his breath hitting Brad in the back of his neck, sending a shiver down his spine. The spot that Tyler’s hand was placed on Brad’s hip was now burning a hole through his underarmour pants. He felt Tyler’s fingers on his shoulder spread and slowly start to massage the knots high on Brad’s neck. It took all the control Brad had to not let out a moan as his head fell back onto Tyler’s chest.

“It, was, no biggie,” Brad stumbled out, completely ignoring the sound of skates walking up behind them.

“Your neck sore Marchy?” Dougie questioned, pulling on his helmet with a slight smirk as he watched the two in front of him jump back from each other and glance around frantically to see if anyone else had seen.

“I, uh, think I got it,” Tyler stammered, moving past his two teammates and through the rest of the tunnel to the ice.

“I bet he did,” Dougie said to the stunned Brad before patting him on the head and following Tyler.

Brad straightened his leg pads and walked down the tunnel, joining his team on the ice. He skated down around Tuukka before joining a group of his teammates to stretch. He found himself scanning the ice in search of Tyler, in hopes to see that he was just as flustered as Brad himself. He spotted him standing next to the bench, pouring water on his neck. Brad knew he needed to talk to Tyler about whatever was going on, but he didn’t know where to even begin. This was going to be a long game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Thank you to everyone who read the first chapter and came back!! I figure I'll apologize now for spelling any player's name wrong or getting any hockey info wrong. I'm trying my best and I honestly don't know a lot about other teams besides the bruins. Oh, and chapter three won't be on here until next Mondayish cause i'm going camping. Yay! kinda... but anyway thanks again and GO BRUINS


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright, so it has taken me this long to post this because when Tyler was traded I sort of sat in my room for days and stared at my poster of him and cried. Basically I can't believe they would do something so stupid, not to mention the fact that he isn't going to play with Brad anymore... Buttt enough okay I didn't want to give up on this fanfic, so I am thinking of incorporating Tyler being traded somewhere down the line. It does slightly change what I had in mind but I think I can make it work.

When the puck had dropped, Brad had immediately gone into game mode, but even still, when he got to the bench for a line change, he threw himself down next to Tyler a little closer than he had to, but it didn’t look like Tyler was complaining.

Tyler was doing all he could to ignore Brad, constantly cheering for someone on the ice when he wasn’t in the game. He had no idea what he was thinking, basically molesting Brad for no reason. He had honestly just been going to thank Marchy when all of a sudden he had been pressed up against him, rubbing his neck. Tyler wasn’t letting it affect his play, in fact him and Brad had almost scored four times already, and Coach was obviously happy because he kept putting them and Bergy on. As soon as they got to the bench though, Tyler would go back to his cheerleading mode, not letting himself look at Brad, no matter how close he pressed his thigh to Tyler’s…

“WOAH what the fuck is that?!”

Tyler snapped back into it as he watched the pile up in front of the Bruin’s net get bigger, Thorty going after the source of Coach’s yelling, a Winnipeg player.

“What happened?” Tyler asked to no one in particular.

“Thorburn just tackled Tuukka,” Bergy answered from his right. The horn sounded the end of the first period, but instead of heading to the locker room, the majority of the Bruins went to join the growing scrum. Tyler watched as Brad, all 5’9”, 180 of him, leaped off the bench and raced towards the goal, somehow pushing his way through, past Chara’s grasp, and right to Thorburn. Brad was throwing punches, and even as the ref tried to pull him away, he managed to nail a smiling Thorburn in the jaw.

Tyler knew he had to stop Brad before he got himself thrown out. Tyler jumped over the boards and made it to the corner where Brad was now on top of a ref who was on top of a screaming Thorburn. The captains were trying all they could to get their teams in the locker room, but there was so much going on that the pile in the corner wasn’t getting the attention.

“Brad!” Tyler yelled as he skated in, putting his hands on both of Brad’s shoulders and hauling him back onto his skates. “He’s not worth it,” Tyler said as he turned and pushed Brad towards the bench before turning and helping the ref back to his feet. He turned again to find Brad picking up his glove, still yelling at Thorburn.

“This isn’t over!”

Tyler put his hands on Brad’s chest and skated them both back to the bench. Brad stopped yelling when he looked Tyler in the eyes and saw concern, remembering that he was the one to cause it.

“Sorry, I just hate him.”

“I know, but I need my liney.”

And with that Tyler moved around Brad and went down the tunnel into the locker room. _Tyler needs me_ Brad thought, and even though he was pretty sure Tyler had meant as a teammate, Brad felt something flare up in his chest. He was needed. And he would always make sure Tyler knew he was there for him.

They all went into intermission on edge because of the fighting that had surprisingly only ended in Thorty with a minor, but had still left Coach in a shitty mood for his between periods speech. He was yelling, but only encouraging words, which was common for Claude. No matter how angry he got, or how loud his voice rose he seemed to not be able to find it in himself to yell at his team and tell them suck. There were times he expressed his anger, but never in a way that left the team hating him or questioning his sanity. Honestly they didn’t suck, they were some of the best players he’d ever coached, and he hated seeing them down on themselves. So even though the game was 1-1, and they honestly should be beating Winnipeg, Claude used his 20 minutes to talk the team through plays in the neutral zone, leaving five minutes at the end for his captains to pump the team up.

By the end of intermission, Brad felt like he had been sitting for too long, his energy beans kicking in as the team brought it in for a “manly cheer” before taking the ice again. Brad looked over at Tyler, who seemed slightly distracted, stretching his hip on the outside of the huddle.

The huddle ended with lots of yelling and cheering and they all made way for Tuukka to lead. Brad made his way to Tyler, who was wincing a little as he shook his leg out.

“You okay?” Brad asked quietly, following Tyler down the tunnel.

“Yeah, just my hip,” Tyler said quickly.

“Well don’t push it,” Brad advised, but Tyler had already hit the ice.

The second period started with a pumped up crowd and a Winnipeg team looking for a fight. Tyler’s right hip had started bothering him when he stood up in the locker room, and he thought he just need to loosen it back up, but ten minutes and four shifts in, he wasn’t feeling much better.

“Let’s go,” he felt Bergy tap on his shoulder, and Tyler threw himself over the boards, ignoring the sharp pain in his hip.

Brad got the puck and brought it down behind the Winnipeg goalie, passing to Tyler who one-timed it towards the goal, clanking it off the post.

“Fuck,” Tyler yelled as the puck flew into the crowd causing a stoppage of play. He coasted to the bench to grab a quick swig of water before stepping back towards the center circle. He felt someone hit his left should from behind with force, causing him to stumble. He straightened up in time to hear Thorburn chirping him.

“Watch you back pussy,” Thorburn jabbed, turning away from Tyler. Tyler was still mad from missing the foal from Marchy’s perfect pass, so instead of ignoring losers like Thorburn as he usually does, Tyler sped up and forcefully shoved the Jet with both hands.

“Go fuck yourself,” Tyler muttered, and skated over to Bergy’s right on the draw circle. An angry Thorburn skated up next to Brad on Bergy’s left, and Brad watched as Thorburn as he glared at Tyler from across the circle. Brad had seen the little shove match between them a second ago, and part of him had been happy for Tyler for sticking up for himself. The other part of me started to get nervous with the way Thorburn’s breathing was picking up next to him, and they weren’t even skating.

The whistle clew and the puck dropped, but instead of going for the puck, Brad watched as Thorburn took off straight for Tyler. Brad threw his stick out to try and slow Thorburn down but he only pushed it away and kept going for Tyler.

Tyler had followed the puck down into Boston’s defensive zone, and had the puck in the corner. He passed the puck along the boards behind Tuukka, forgetting to check behind him as he turned slightly, his thoughts momentarily consumed with the sharp pain in his hip. He didn’t even see him coming.

Brad watched from the blue line as Thorburn’s elbow made direct contact with Tyler’s temple, sending Tyler crashing into the boards head first.

“Tyler!” Brad yelled, his voice catching the attention of the line judge who watched with a now sprinting Brad as Tyler’s body crumpled to the ice. The whistle blew, and everyone looked around for the cause. Brad’s heart was pounding, his ears ringing as he skated across the ice, not hesitating as he slammed his entire body into Thorburn, sending him flailing to the ground to the left of Tyler’s unmoving form. Brad landed on Thorburn and immediately started destroying his face, not giving him a second to breathe as he threw punch after punch, not letting up as blood started pouring down Thorburn’s face.

Whistles were blowing in the background, but nothing could stop the screaming Brad, and it took the combined efforts of Chara and the biggest ref, each taking one arm, to get Brad off Thorburn. They started pulling him towards the penalty box, when Brad caught eye of the crowd of trainers around Tyler’s limp body.

“Tyler, oh fuck, let me go, I have to see if he’s okay, TYLER!” Brad started struggling even harder. “Please let me go!”

Chara looked over at the ref who had a panicked look in his eyes at the seemingly crazy man between them.

“Let him go,” Chara commanded, and the ref nodded silently, letting Brad race back towards Tyler. The other Bruins moved out of the way as Brad skated by, knowing there was nothing they could do to get Brad to leave Tyler alone with the trainers. Brad fell to his knees and pushed one of the trainers slightly as he squeezed his small frame down next to Tyler’s head. The trainers were touching him everywhere, looking for broken bones or bleeding, and Brad sucked in a breath when he saw Tyler’s eyes were still closed.

“He’s unconscious, bad hit to the head, someone get the board,” one of the trainers said into a walkie-talkie. The crowd had fallen silent at the scene unfolding on the ice, players from both teams grouped together, giving the trainers room, but watching nonetheless. Brad blocked out everything, removing his gloves and taking Tyler’s face in his hands.

“Hey, careful-,“ one of the trainers started, reaching to remove Brad’s hands, but Brad looked up at him glaring. The trainers all took a step back, focusing on the board making its way across the ice towards Tyler.

“Hey Ty,” Brad whispered, bringing his face down towards Tyler’s until they were inches apart. “Tyler, can you hear me? It’s Brad. Wake up Tyler. Please wake up.” Brad’s hands were on each of Tyler’s cheeks, gently stroking circles with his thumbs. He was careful not to move Tyler’s head much, and as much as Brad didn’t want to admit it, he was scared to death. When Tyler still didn’t move, Brad reached one hand up and brushed Tyler’s forehead, noticing it was unusually hot. “Tyler, please, can you hear me? Open your eyes for me Tyler. Please Ty.” Brad’s voice cracked on the last word, and he felt the backs of his eye’s starting to sting. Brad closed his eyes and dropped his head down, trying to compose himself. The medics arrived with the board and the trainers’ attention was momentarily sidetracked. Brad opened his eyes, looking at Tyler’s face for any changes, his face scrunching up in pain when he found none. “Tyler, wake up,” Brad pleaded, a tear falling from his eye. Brad took his hand away from Tyler’s face to wipe his own cheek, glancing around to see if anyone had seen him crying, when all of a sudden a loud gasp from Tyler brought rang out. Brad looked down to find Tyler’s eyes wide open, frantically glancing around but not moving his neck. Brad smiled a teary grin, moving forward and putting his hands back on Tyler’s face. “Tyler! Are you okay, what hurts-“ Brad started, but was pushed back and closed off from Tyler by the team of new medics, now in action mode. “Wait, stop, let me see him,” Brad said as he pushed at the medics who were all muttering to each other as they tried to analyze Tyler. Brad could hear little gasps coming from his best friend, always followed by some comment by a medic.

The tension in the rink was building with every second that Tyler stayed on the ice, and with the arrival of a medical board the crowd and players on the ice looked around in search of the stretcher that was being called for by the trainers. Brad was still on his knees, his view of Tyler being blocked by a rather large and unfriendly trainer, one Brad hadn’t seen before. The trainer currently had his hands seemingly near Tyler’s neck, talking to him and feeling around. Brad could feel the cold sweat dripping down his back, wanting to just close his eyes and have everything be back to normal, like Tyler had never been hit, when he opened them.

It wasn’t that he had never witnessed one of his teammates go down, it was just the fact that it was Tyler, his best friend. Tyler had taken some hard hits in practice, playing on a team with some big, aggressive guys. But usually he bounced right back up, laughing, or if it was really hard, angry and looking for revenge. Recently the guys on the team had been taking it a bit easy on him because of the hip he was nursing. Brad froze, a twinge of guilt seeping into his mind and the tears starting to form again as he remembered Tyler complaining before the period started. He shouldn’t have let him on the ice, Brad thought to himself, should have forced him to stay in the locker room. _It’s my fault_ Brad thought, bringing his hand up to his mouth to prevent any strangled noises to come out.

As Brad was sitting there, staring at the ice, the noise of the stretcher being rolled out onto the ice only fueling the guilt that was brimming inside Brad. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Horty with a sad look on his usually smiling face. “You gotta move man, they’re brining in the stretcher.”

Brad let Horty pull him to his feet and backwards to let the white hospital stretcher through. It reminded Brad of the stretcher he had watched his favorite uncle be taken away on after having a heart attack playing golf. He had died.

The medics had slowly gotten Tyler onto the orange board, strapping a neck brace onto him after carefully removing his helmet. Tyler had closed his eyes again, but was still consciously talking to the trainers, who were getting ready to lift him onto the stretcher. Brad stood to the side with his teammates, afraid anything he tried to do to help would only hurt Tyler more. Both team’s captains were standing with the refs chatting quietly, no one wanting to miss anything that was going on with Tyler.

With a quiet count of three, six medics lifted Tyler unto the stretcher immediately strapping him in. Before they could finish securing him though, Tyler’s eyes shot open, and he started breathing heavy.

“Stay calm Tyler,” one of the medics cautioned, trying to steady his shaking arms.

“I, I-“ Tyler started, but couldn’t finish before his eyes started to roll back, his body trembling even harder.

“He’s going into shock!” One of the medics stated nervously, loud enough for Brad and other nearby players to hear. Brad’s eyes went wide, and without thinking he pushed himself forward and between medics to the head of Tyler’s stretcher. It was chaos, half the trainers trying to get Tyler off the ice, the others just trying to get him to respond.

Brad started panicking. He’d never been this close to someone having a medical issue, especially someone he cared about. What if Tyler’s heart stopped, right here in the middle of the ice? Brad mentally slapped himself. He couldn’t let that happen, not here, not ever. He needed Tyler, needed him not only as a friend, but to get by. Brad felt something hit into his thigh, and when he realized it was Tyler’s arm flailing involuntarily, he grabbed it, finding his ungloved hand and holding it tight.

Brad was letting the medic team do their job, trying to stay out of the way as they slowly started rolling Tyler to the zamboni exit. Tyler still wasn’t responding, his body still shaking violently, but his breathing had quieted.

“Stop!” one of the medics signaled suddenly, and everyone surrounding Tyler halted, turning warily to see what the issue was. The medic had his ear down near Tyler’s mouth, seemingly trying to understand something he was saying. “He’s mumbling something, a name.”

“Brad,” Tyler breathed out, a little louder than before, making Brad’s heart jump.

“Yeah Ty I’m here,” squeezing Tyler’s hand and bringing it up to his mouth, kissing the back of it before he realized what he was doing. Feeling the eyes of the medics on him, Brad reddened, but kept Tyler’s hand near his mouth. “I’m here,” he repeated.

“C-come here,” Tyler whispered through chattering teeth, and Brad leaned over Tyler’s head so he could see Brad.

“Hey,” Brad said with a teary smile, and Tyler’s eyes met his. Tyler let out a sigh, his fingers sliding through Brad’s, locking their hands together.

“What happened?” Tyler asked quietly, not removing his eyes from Brad’s.

“You got hit, but your fine Ty, everything’s fine.” Tyler’s shaking had visibly gone down to the reflief of the medics, but Brad hardly noticed. He was to busy staring into the deep chocolate brown that was Tyler’s eyes. Why had he never noticed the specks of gold and green before?

“Come on, we have to go,” a tall trainer said, motioning for the others to start rolling Tyler again. Brad felt Tyler’s grip tighten immediately, and Brad didn’t know if it was from the pain of moving or the fear of the hospital.

“It’s okay babe, I’m here,” Brad comforted, mentally questioning himself at the use of “babe”. _Whatever_ he thought, I’ll figure it out later.

“Don’t go, please stay,” Tyler squeaked out, his eyes searching for Brad who had moved to help push Tyler off the ice.

“I’ll stay with you Ty, always,” Brad said with another squeeze of Tyler’s hand.

The crowd was now on their feet at the sight of a conscious and stable Tyler, cheering loudly, some even chanting “Seguin, Seguin.” Players from both teams had lined up, making a path for the medics as they got closer to the door. Words of encouragement and support were being shouted and Brad saw Tyler smile and raise his hand in a cautious attempt at a wave. The crowd saw and went wild for the young star, and with a final nod at the team, Brad stepped through the opening in the boards and towards the exit, Tyler’s strong hand still locked with his. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hopefully i will have the next chapter up soon, but thank you again to everyone who has read what is up so far! I really wanna say go bruins but I feel like we are slowly losing the team.. horton, ference, jagr, SEGUIN, possibly brad... well, go team??


	4. Chapter 4

 

Throbbing. That’s the first word that came to mind as Tyler slowly came back to consciousness. He hadn’t opened his eyes yet, but he could feel the warmth of the sun on his body, and could hear the sound of someone puttering around in a kitchen. The pain in his head was what controlled most of his thoughts though, and Tyler could practically feel his heartbeat pulsing through his temples.

After lying still for a couple of minutes, Tyler mustered the courage to squint his eyes open, immediately regretting that decision as the flood of light caused a new wave of pain to rush through his head. He couldn’t help but let out a loud moan of pain as he slowly brought a hand up to shield his eyes. Noticing the texture and color of the coach he was sprawled out on, Tyler realized he was in what seemed to be an apartment, one that he’d definitely been in before. Catching a glimpse of a Kings of Leon poster out of the corner of his eye, Tyler recognized it as Brad’s apartment. Without thinking, he turned his head in an effort to locate Brad, but stopped when he felt his muscles clench and his vision go white with pain. Another moan escaped his lips, loud enough to reach into the kitchen and catch the attention of a tired Brad who was pouring hot coffee into two large cups.

Brad stopped, setting the coffee pot on the counter and turning his head, standing on his toes to try and see over the couch to look if the noise had come from Tyler. Tyler had been sleeping ever since he had brought him back from the hospital this morning, Brad taking on the role as caregiver, watching Tyler sleep, covering him with his softest blankets when he started to shiver. Seeing the tip of Tyler’s fingers as he stretched on the couch, Brad darted from the kitchen to the living room.

“Hey, you’re up,” Brad said, squatting down next to the couch, noticing Tyler’s hand covering his eyes, his face scrunched up in pain.

“What happened?” Tyler mumbled out, and Brad rubbed his shoulder as he sat down on the end of the couch by Tyler’s head. Brad opened his mouth, but stopped when he realized he didn’t know where to start. With the amount of stress and meds Tyler had been on in the last 24 hours, Brad didn’t want to freak Tyler out by telling him he had a serious concussion and wouldn’t be able to play for some time.

“What do you remember?” Brad said quietly, watching Tyler’s face as he struggled to open his eyes, his massive hands rubbing up and down his pale face.

“I-I remember the game. And lying on the ice. But, I-“

“It’s okay, don’t worry,” Brad comforted Tyler, who now had his eyes squeezed shut, and Brad didn’t know if it was in pain or frustration. “Are you in pain Ty? The doc gave me some pills you can take to help.” Brad now had his hands on either of Tyler’s forearms, trying to ease them away from his face so he could look into Tyler’s eyes.

“My head… it’s pounding. Please tell me we got really drunk,” Tyler mumbled, finally letting Brad move his hands so he could squint open his eyes.

“Not exactly,” Brad responded hesitantly, meeting Tyler’s eyes.

Brad didn’t have to say anything; the look in his eyes was filled with worry and a spark of protection. Brad’s eyes were so piercingly blue, able to cut into your train of thought, almost challenging Tyler to look away. Tyler had always loved Brad’s eyes, but for some reason looking at them now was taking his breath away. He forced himself to let out a breath, Brad’s eyes fluttering as it hit his face.

Brad smiled, Tyler had seemingly calmed down, squeezing Tyler’s hands in encouragement. _Wait, how had they ended up holding hands?_

Tyler broke the eye contact to look down at their intertwined hands, eyes widening. He was holding hands with Brad, his best friend, so why doesn’t it feel weird? He moved one hand slightly, feeling their rough calluses hit each other. _It’s like he’s made for me._

Brad interpreted Tyler’s movement wrong, and when he looked up again, Brad reddened, embarrassed for acting so emotional with Tyler.

“I’ll go get the meds,” Brad said quickly, pulling his hands away awkwardly and shuffling towards the kitchen. Tyler would have made a move to stop him if he didn’t think he would pass out from the pain. “Oh, and don’t move!” Brad instructed towards the couch. Tyler let out a snort, for whatever had happened to him seemed to have left him immobile.

Brad picked a cup from his cupboard, purposefully picking the princess one his sister had brought over because he knew it would make Tyler laugh. Filling it up with water and setting it on the counter, Brad walked over to the bottles of pill he had received from the doctor. Shaking two of the right ones into his hands, Brad put the cap back on and went back to pick up the cup of water. _Alright Brad, stay composed,_ he thought to himself. After Tyler’s reaction to them holding hands, Brad had to stop himself from acting weird with him. It’s just, Tyler’s hands are so big and strong, and his long fingers fit perfectly with Brads shorter ones, and when he rubs his face during interviews…

The cup-full of water fell to the ground, bouncing around, the water soaking the wood floor.

“Shit,” Brad exclaimed, scooping down and picking up the cup so he could go refill it.

“Everything okay?” Tyler called, trying to sit up, but quickly stopping when a wave of nausea ran through him.

“Just peachy,” Brad responded, finishing wiping up the mess.

Tyler laughed quietly, and went back to looking at his hands, like he had been before he heard Brad’s accident. They were still tingling where Brad had touched them, and Tyler really hoped that was a good thing, and not something that would lead to disappointment.

“Okay, don’t drop this or I’ll murder you,” Brad said as he walked around the couch and handed Tyler a cup of water. Tyler smirked and took it, popping the pills in his mouth and lifting his head slightly to sip some water.

“Manly cup,” he taunted as he handed it back to Brad.

“I thought it suited you princess,” Brad said as he set it down, smiling when he heard Tyler’s deep laugh. Brad sat down, his back leaning against the couch by Tyler’s stomach. “The pills are supposed to help with the headache, I have other’s if you start to feel like your gunna barf.”

Tyler realized he probably shouldn’t have just swallowed pills without asking what they were, but he trusted Brad.

“Thanks, well for everything. You didn’t have to let me crash on your couch.”

“I definitely wasn’t going to leave you alone,” Brad said with a hint of motherly defensiveness. “You were… unstable."

Tyler looked down at Brad, who had his hands locked around the back of his neck, his elbows on his knees in a position where Tyler couldn’t see his face. “You were… not okay,” Brad continued, and Tyler was starting to worry.

“What happened Brad? Why am I lying here on your couch with a throbbing headache?”

Brad turned, facing Tyler, and Tyler could see a look in his eyes, and… tears?

“Ty, you got hit. Badly. Thorburn slammed you straight into the boards. Your head… there was a loud crack.” Brad stopped, and then stood up suddenly, starting to pace, fingers grabbing at the air by his sides as if he was searching for the right words to say. When he couldn’t find them, he sort of threw his hands down and turned towards Tyler. “You were unconscious. The medics were with you for a good 2 or 3 minutes before you woke up. And then you went into shock.” Brad stopped again, and Tyler saw his face scrunch up in fear, as if Tyler was in shock right there on the couch. Brad ran his hands through his short hair, letting out a shaky breath before starting to pace again. “They got you calmed down before you got into the ambulance. They started asking you all these questions, but you started to get really tired. You fell asleep before we got to the hospital, and then they took you to get an MRI.”

“I remember,” Tyler interrupted. “Well, I remember going into shock.” Tyler did remember. He remembered having to focus on Brad’s face, his concerned but care-filled blue eyes, until he could control his breathing. “I don’t remember much though,” Tyler semi-lied. He kept following Brad’s pacing form with his eyes, hating that this was causing him so much stress.

“You were pretty out of it,” Brad agreed.

“What happened then? What did the MRI say?”

Brad let out another deep breath. “You have a serious concussion, and some slight whiplash. You don’t have memory loss or anything crazy, but when they brought you out of the MRI, you had another panic attack and they had to sedate you. Bastards could have told me it would take you practically a day to wake up.” Brad rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“Wait, what day is it?!” Tyler asked, suddenly worried that he had been in a coma or something.

“The game was last night, the hospital released you this morning, and you’ve been sleeping all day. It’s 8:30.” Brad laughed quickly, looking at the ground as he paced. “I had to carry you, you know, like bridal style. They brought you out in a wheelchair from the hospital but from the car to here you were all mine. You should have seen the look a lady in the elevator gave me when I walked in holding a snoring, 6’1” beast.”

At that Tyler laughed, trying to picture tiny Marchy carrying his huge form. “There’s no way you carried me dude,” Tyler mustered out through laughing fits.

“Naw man, these babies are fucking huge!” Brad said, kissing his biceps and walking around like a professional boxer before a fight. Tyler was laughing hard now, the pain in his head slowly subsiding, his focus now on Brad was dancing around the living room.

“Not gunna lie though,” Brad said as he sat down in a giant arm chair across the living room. “As soon as I had you on the couch and had all your shit up from the car, I collapsed.” Tyler snorted as Brad continued. “You may have a lady-killer body but you are heaaaaavy.” Brad finished with another flex of his arms before lying back.

Tyler let out another laugh, and then stretched out his arms. “That medicine helped Brad, I feel a little better.”

“Good, now I don’t have to sue the doc.”

Tyler put his arms under him, and slowly lifted himself up, feeling a rush through his brain but ignoring it. Brad noticed he was shaky, and quickly jumped up to help him.

“Thanks nurse,” Tyler said grumpily as Brad helped him into a seating position on the couch.

“No problem hun,” Brad said in his best high-pitched sexy-nurse voice. No sooner had Tyler sat up until he started tipping, dazed eyes blinking.

“Woah, careful,” Brad said, helping Tyler upright. After looking around and not seeing a pillow big enough to keep Tyler upright, Brad shrugged and flopped himself down next to Tyler. Leaning to the right, his body pushed up fully against Brad’s left side, Tyler opened his eyes again.

“Hey there,” Brad said, patting Tyler’s knee.

“Brad, I know this is awkward, but I keep thinking about it, how did I get from my pads and stuff into those clothes?”

“Well, they cut off your jersey and pads on the ambulance, and I’m guessing before the MRI they put you in a hospital gown, cause that’s how you were the next time I was allowed to see you. And then I took those clothes you’re wearing now from the bag of stuff Bergy brought to the hospital after the game. I helped one of the nurses dress you before we left.” Brad looked away so Tyler wouldn’t see him blush.

“You can brush my hair, undress me anywhere,” Tyler sang, making Brad’s cheeks redden even more.

“Shut up Ty, I thought you’d rather have me grope you in your boxers than some doctor.”

Now they were both red, and Tyler had to nervously cough to break the silence. _Why were they blushing?_ Tyler thought. He and Brad made dick jokes all the time. Tyler pushed away the thought that he might actually feel different about Brad’s dick lately, bringing up a different topic he knew Brad was avoiding.

“Brad, if I have a concussion, how long am I out for?”

Brad sighed, looking up at Tyler who was squished against him on the couch There was no way to avoid it, Tyler’s face so close to his, his large brown eyes locked on Brad’s blue one’s, awaiting an answer.

“Well, they don’t know yet, they wanna run more tests and see how you heal.”

“They don’t know?!” Tyler said loudly, close to Brad’s ear and making him flinch.

“Calm down Ty, you’ll heal quick, you’re strong,” Brad looked up at Tyler with a comforting smile. Tyler instantly relaxed, again completely believing Brad. “And besides, it won’t be too bad. You’ll have me here for a weekish!”

Tyler looked down questioningly, and Brad smiled reluctantly. “I beat up Thorburn when he had his back turned. The fucker never took his gloves off too. Oh and I broke his nose,” Brad smiled proudly this time. “I’m thrown out for 3 games, which is basically a week”.

Tyler could barely keep his face normal as he heard and watched Brad describe beating up Thorburn. And for no reason other than he had hurt Tyler.

“House arrest buddies?” Tyler asked, smiling down at Brad.

“House arrest buddies,” Brad agreed, moving his left arm up around Tyler’s shoulder. His eyes met Tyler’s and for the second time in the last twenty minutes, the two guys, as cheesy as it sounds, got lost in each other’s eyes. Tyler could feel the heat from Brad’s arm around his shoulders, mixed with the same tingling feeling as when they had been holding hands.

For some reason Brad’s confident, and sometimes cocky personality was lost, his expression softening, his lips pulled into a small smile. Brad watched as Tyler blinked, his eyelids seemingly taking longer to lift with each close.

“Tyler, I have no idea how, but you need a nap.” Tyler picked the perfect time to yawn, and Brad smirked, leaning down ad pulling the fallen blanket over Tyler. Settling back next to him, Brad felt Tyler snuggling next to him. Tyler kept shuffling closer, resting his head on Brad’s strong shoulders. Brad pulled him closer, carefully resting his head on Tyler’s.

“Is this okay?” Brad whispered.

“Mmmph” Tyler let out in a muffled yes. Tyler’s breathing had already slowed, his little breaths puffing out against Brad’s shoulder softly. Brad closed his eyes and sighed against Tyler’s soft hair.

Just as Brad had relaxed completely, he felt Tyler move, and soon there was an arm thrown across Brad’s midsection. Brad tensed slightly, but realizing Tyler was most likely already asleep, he let himself lean into Tyler’s embrace, and Tyler’s hand immediately responded by gripping into Brad’s hip.

Brad knew it might be weird when they wake up, but after everything that had happened lately, Brad was beginning to wonder if the feelings in the back of his mind might be mutual. Brad turned his head slightly, and before he knew what he was doing, his lips made contact with Tyler’s smooth forehead, staying for only a second before he pulled them off with a quiet pop. He placed his head back on Tyler’s, letting him nuzzle back into Brad’s neck. A large part of Brad hoped Tyler was asleep, and his cuddle-filled subconscious wouldn’t remember the peck to his forehead, but an even larger part of Brad wanted Tyler to return the kiss. That part, the part of Brad that let him breath in Tyler’s shampoo, let him tangle his ankles with Tyler’s under the blanket; that part was threatening to reveal itself completely to Brad, as well as to the boy snuggled into his side. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry for taking so long again to post a chapter, and a pretty crappy chapter at that... yeah this chapter is kinda a filler, but i think the next chapter is going to be a big one! Thanks for reading, and as always feedback is appreciated!!


	5. Chapter 5

By the third day, Tyler was anxious. Brad was babying him, as expected, and Tyler didn’t know how much more of the squishy leather couch his butt could take.

The doctor had come to visit the day before (“don’t they only do house visits for fucking old people??” Tyler had complained, but Brad told him to politely shut the fuck up), and even though Tyler had told him that he felt better, the doc had ordered him at least another week of “no strenuous activity”, whatever the fuck that meant. He literally hadn’t left the area between the couch to the bathroom in the hallway of Brad’s apartment since he had woken up. At first he had tried to find something to do to pass the time, like playing NHL 13 on Brad’s Xbox, or taping and retaping his hockey sticks. But honestly, he got bored of anything after about 3 hours of doing it, resulting in most of his house arrest time so far being spent talking to Brad. It sounds lame, but honestly, Tyler felt like he could spend years talking to Brad. They had talked about anything and everything, from their favorite moment in hockey history to what they look forward to most in Thanksgiving dinner.

Tyler had always felt close to Brad, and they had slept over at each other’s apartments on many occasions, but for some reason this felt different. Tyler couldn’t lay in a horizontal position very long with all the blood rushing to his head, which had resulted in many head-on-Brad’s-shoulder naps. It was his favorite type of nap ever since after he had first woken up, when Tyler had been awakened by Brad’s cold feet wrapping around his warm ones underneath the blanket.

Tyler was very happy, perhaps over happy with the way that the whole concussion situation was working out, he just had this feeling. One of those anxious, you think you might have ADD feelings you get where no matter what you’re doing you feel like there’s something more important you should be doing with your time. At first Tyler thought it was hockey. That his love for the game mixed with his current lack of physical ability to play the sport he could now call his job was causing him the inability to sit still. So when Brad left to go take a shower one afternoon, Tyler hauled himself off the couch, pausing for a second until the throbbing in his temples and the back of his neck stopped, and started slowly hobbling down the hallway towards the door.

His goal was to make it to the roof of Brad’s apartment building where he knew there were always kids playing some pick up hockey game. Tyler was so caught up in the effort to make the nagging feeling go away that he had blocked out the nauseous feeling growing in his stomach from the sudden quick, vertical movements. As he passed the bathroom door, Tyler heard the sound of the shower running and was immediately hit with the thought of Brad in the shower. He could hear the quiet humming echoing off the walls, some new pop song the guys had been listening to in the locker room a couple days ago.

Tyler knew Brad liked to sing, and he wasn’t bad when he was actually trying. In fact, Tyler was the only person who had ever heard Brad sing, the first week they had met, and Brad had made Tyler swear to never tell. Tyler caught him singing to himself every so often, and it made him proud that he was the only person Brad was completely comfortable around. Even more comfortable than his girlfriend.

The thought made Tyler smile to himself, and he turned towards the bathroom door, leaning down to place his ear to the crack so he could hear Brad better, the hockey players on the roof now far from his mind. But, being the dork of a 21 year old he was, he misjudged the distance, smacking his already tender head into the wooden door.

“OW, FUCK!” Tyler yelled, jumping back from the door, both hands wrapped around his now pounding head. He didn’t have to open his eyes to feel the room spinning, and before he rammed into something else, Tyler sat down next to the bathroom door, resting his elbows on his bent knees. He gently placed his head in his hands, trying to calm down and focus on his breathing instead of the pain, something Brad had taught him in the past couple of days.

Minutes later Tyler was still in the same position, eyes squeezed shut, but his breathing had calmed to a steady pace. He was trying as hard as he could to not go into a panic attack; it’s just that his head hurt so fucking bad.

Tyler was so focused on staying calm that he missed the sound of the shower turning off. Brad had stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel, making it over to the sink before hearing the sound of pretty labored breathing coming from the hallway. If he didn’t know any better, he would think that someone was fucking pretty hard in his hallway. But Brad knew that Tyler was the only one in his apartment with him, but he shouldn’t be able to hear him on the couch all the way from the bathroom…

“Ty?” Brad called out, wrapping his towel around his waist and walking quickly towards the door. He threw the door open and unsuspectingly tripped over something, struggling to keep himself upright. When he realized he had tripped over a hunched up Tyler, his anger was immediately replaced by worry.

“Shit, Tyler what happened?” Brad was now crouched down, hands feeling over Tyler’s arms and head to try and get him to look up. When he did, he was squinting from the pain. Tyler realized it probably looked like he was looking at something really bright or shinny, but he kinda was.

Brad was kneeling in front of him in just a towel, water droplets still coasting down his toned chest and arms, his hair all matted down and glistening. The towel fell just below Brad’s knees, and Tyler let his eyes wonder down over the curves of Brad’s body underneath the cloth.

“Tyler what happened, are you okay? Shit why aren’t you talking?”

The panic in Brad’s voice brought Tyler back to the current situation, and he squinted up towards Brad’s face.

“Thought I’d go for a walk,” Tyler joked, but it obviously wasn’t funny to Brad as he dug his short nails into the skin of Tyler’s forearm in anger.

“You fucker, what if you fell outside of the apartment? I’d never find you!” Brad was yelling now, and Tyler put his hands over his ears. “Sorry,” Brad mumbled, when he realized he was actually causing Tyler more pain. “Do you think you can walk?”

“Yeah, just, slowly.”

Tyler moved his arm around Brad’s shoulders, and Brad quickly responded by gripping onto Tyler’s side, his other arm on Tyler’s midsection to steady him as they slowly rose. Tyler could feel the side of his shirt that was touching Brad slowly getting wetter and wetter, but he was not about to ask Brad to drop him and dry off.

“You okay?” Brad asked when they had made it completely upright, not wanting to continue if Tyler was feeling gross.

“Yeah I’m good,” Tyler said, and they started moving down the hallway. Tyler felt so pitiful, having to be helped just to walk. He felt like shit though, and when they had reached the kitchen, Brad was starting to feel more and more of Tyler’s weight. He looked up at the younger boy, and saw he was looking pale.

“Can we stop for a sec?” Tyler asked, reaching out for the countertop. Brad slowly eased him onto a stool, and then turned him so he could lean on the counter. Tyler put both of his hands to his face, covering it so Brad couldn’t see the tears building up in his eyes. He did let out a loud sniffle, and Brad’s heart lurched at the sound.

“Hey, it’s okay Ty,” Brad said, gently rubbing Tyler’s back. Tyler shuddered under the touch, the feeling from before coming back, and this time in an overwhelming amount. The tears were coming, and Tyler couldn’t remember a time when he had felt so many emotions at the same time. He could place some, the anger and sadness at being so vulnerable, but not others. He felt this mix of fear and desire, but he didn’t know what from. All of these emotions were hitting him, hitting him hard, and he couldn’t help but lean back into Brad’s touch. He couldn’t help it when the tears spilled over and a sob slipped out, but quickly he was enveloped in a warm embrace.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” Brad mumbled into Tyler shoulder, and he felt Tyler lean into his bare chest. Slowly, Tyler’s arms wrapped around him, locking around Brad’s waist. Brad could almost feel all of Tyler’s emotions in the hug, and at that moment he would have done anything to make him feel better.

Tyler’s tears were slowing, his sobs quieting, his focus shifting away from his weak state and into the pure warmth and kindness he could practically feel radiating from Brad. It was amazing, how someone so tough and rugged could form into this comforting person when Tyler needed it. He hadn’t felt so safe in someone’s arms in a long time, and it scared him how much he longed for it.

Brad could feel Tyler relaxing, and he sighed, a sigh filled with relief that Tyler was okay, but also confusion. Brad had felt a stronger connection to Tyler with every touch they shared, and he was beginning to wonder if his feelings were more than friendship or brotherly. He hadn’t even felt this way about a girl before, and he had to keep reminding himself that he wasn't checking Tyler out whenever he looked at him.

Brad pulled back slightly, pulling one of his arms from around Tyler’s shoulders to underneath his chin. Lifting it gently, he forced Tyler’s sad eyes to meet his own. Tyler’s eyes were red, the skin beneath them raw from the tears. Brad had never seen him this way, the pure innocence of his stare, and Brad couldn’t help himself from bringing his hands up to cup Tyler’s face, his thumbs ghosting across his cheeks to wipe the tears away.

Tyler didn’t even think as he leaned closer, only noticing the distance closing when the smell of Brad’s shampoo was stronger, the heat from Brad’s body warmer. Their eyes were still locked, and Brad watched Tyler’s head tilted slightly to the right. He knew what Tyler was doing, but couldn’t stop him, no, _didn’t want to_ stop him.

All of a sudden there was a loud buzz on the counter as Brad’s phone rang, jolting Tyler and Brad from their moment. Brad dropped his hands and stepped back, Tyler hunching down and covering his ears from the harsh noise. Brad stepped around Tyler and grabbed his phone, not even looking at the caller id before ignoring the call. He looked back at Tyler, who was red faced and staring at Brad’s chest.

“Want me to make you some tea? My mom used to make it for me when I was having a bad day.” Brad didn’t wait for an answer as he turned and fumbled back and fourth between cupboards, doing anything to avoid eye contact with Tyler. Whatever had just almost happened had left Brad out of breath, and he was doing his best to keep calm. Was Tyler about to kiss him? Brad licked his lips, and widened his eyes, glad his back was still to Tyler.

“Brad?”

“Huh?”

“I said, I’m not British, you don’t need to make me tea.”

“I don’t need to, I want to.”

Tyler smiled at those words, his sadness gone, being replaced by the feeling he had earlier. The one that made him think he needed to play hockey. He realized that when he had been touching Brad, it had gone away, as if he was doing what his subconscious had been trying to make him do all along.

He watched Brad as he waited for the cup of water in the microwave to finish. He was adjusting his towel that had gotten a little loose in their hug. The microwave beeped, making Brad jump. Tyler knew he was still freaked from the almost kiss, and Tyler was trying to tell if he was a good-freaked or a bad-freaked.

Brad turned and finally met Tyler’s eyes, his expression softening when he saw Tyler wasn’t laughing or joking, but still holding that innocent expression, face as red Brad assumed he still was himself.

“Peppermint or chamomile?” Brad asked quietly, watching Tyler shrug.

“I’ve never had either.”

“Well, mint it is,” Brad decided, popping the tea-bag in the cup and bringing it over to Tyler. “It’s hot,” he cautioned before Tyler took it into his large hands. Brad sat on the stool next to Tyler watching him as he puckered his lips on the edge of the cup, blowing the steam carefully. Brad’s eyes stopped on Tyler’s bright red lips, the way they looked so smooth yet strong. Slowly, Tyler tipped the cup, drinking in the hot liquid. His throat was sore from crying, so he welcomed the warmth and heeling of the mint. He pulled the cup back and set it down, sighing in content.

“I love it Brad thanks.” Brad smiled, putting his hand on Tyler’s knee.

“Anytime.”

Tyler was about to move closer when Brad’s phone started buzzing again. Brad reached across the counter and snatched it up, quickly silencing it before slamming it back down. Tyler looked at him questioning, but he wasn’t getting a response.

“Was that Katrina?” Tyler asked hesitantly, hating the way her name felt on his tongue. She was one topic they hadn’t brought up in the three days Tyler had been living with Brad. Not because Brad didn’t like her, so Tyler thought, but because Brad didn’t have time to see her when he was with Tyler. Tyler felt bad, but hey she could always have brought them something.

When Tyler noticed Brad’s expression, one of hesitance and a little disgust, Tyler sat up a little, picking up his cup of tea and taking another sip.

“Well, um, no. I broke up with her.”

Tyler choked on his tea, setting down the cup and coughing hard into his hand. Brad got up to pat his back but Tyler put a hand up in an “I’m fine” gesture. When they both were sitting, and Tyler wasn’t coughing, he cleared his throat and calmed down his racing mind.

“What happened?” He tried to sound sad, and somewhat curious, hoping Brad couldn’t detect his extreme happiness and sudden lust. Brad didn’t answer, and now Tyler felt bad, because it seemed that whatever happened was causing Brad pain. He shifted his stool closer to Brad’s, putting his hand on his shoulder.

“You can tell me Brad,” Tyler said, this time genuinely meaning it.

Brad looked up at him, his eyes not filled with the sadness that Tyler had expected by his body language. Instead they were filled with the same gaze that had caused Tyler to lean in earlier. The gaze that welcomed Tyler’s feelings, and returned them.

It startled Tyler when Brad spoke, because Tyler had forgot he had even asked a question. It took him a moment to comprehend the answer.

“You. You happened, Tyler.”

You. You? Tyler searched his mind to try and figure out what the hell Brad was talking about, and was startled when he felt two strong hands grip his face. He stared into Brad’s eyes, everything finally sinking in.

“Me?” Tyler whispered out, not realizing how close they had gotten, how his words whispered across Brad’s red cheeks.

Brad nodded, afraid to open his mouth and say something that could mess up the moment. Their knees were jumbled together, Brad’s hands cradling Tyler’s face for the second time that afternoon. Tyler’s hands had found there way to Brad’s body, his right one resting on Brad’s towel-covered thigh, the other gently gripping his bare side.

Tyler continued to lean in, only stopping to turn his head to the right. He was inches away from Brad, his lips slightly open. Brad could feel Tyler’s breath mixing with his, his skin tingling where it met Tyler’s hands and face. Tyler had stopped moving, giving Brad one last chance to say no, one last chance to keep everything the way it was. Brad stared hard into Tyler’s deep brown eyes, ensuring that he wouldn’t miss Brad’s slight right twist of the head to match Tyler’s own. Tyler felt his heart rate pick up even more, and with a mix of his own movements, and Brad’s gentle grasp on his face, he closed the distance between them.

When their lips met, Brad couldn’t help the quiet moan that escaped his mouth. It felt like time had stopped, that all of his life had led up to this moment, feeling Tyler’s lips on his. The longer they stayed, unmoving, lips placed steadily together, the warmer Tyler felt. Brad’s lips were everything he imagined and more. His full bottom lip was made for Tyler’s long ones, and when Tyler twisted his head slightly more to the right, the pull on Brad’s lips created a heat in the pit of Brad’s stomach.  Brad didn’t even realize how out of breath he was until he felt Tyler’s face in his hands pull gently back, only far enough for each of them to catch a quick breath before Tyler closed the space once more. The kiss was deeper this time, Tyler’s more open lips enveloping Brad’s. Brad felt Tyler’s hand on his leg grip behind his bent knee and pull him closer, Brad’s shorter legs fitting snuggly between Tyler’s. Tyler’s hand on his waist moved to the small of his back, his fingernails clawing and unclawing as Tyler kept moving his lips. Brad couldn’t even think, couldn’t react to Tyler’s movements. He was so mesmerized by the fact that this was happening, he was kissing Tyler, that when Tyler moved his head to left and captured Brad’s bottom lip between his teeth, Brad let out an unruly loud moan. He was immediately embarrassed, and didn’t expect the needful sigh in response that escaped from Tyler’s lips into his own.

Tyler could feel the want and need coming from Brad, something he was afraid that he would never feel, especially from someone he cared so much about. Their lips were in perfect sync; the gentle smacks the only sound filling the room. Tyler’s breathing was getting heavier with every turn of their heads, and the sound was causing the heat inside Brad to intensify. Brad pulled Tyler’s face impossibly closer, stopping the movement and just letting their lips, both parted, rest on each other’s, filling the strong edge to the smoothness that came from kissing another man. Tyler’s nails dug hard into Brad’s back, and when Brad finally pulled away, there were crescent moons lining his skin. Brad rested his forehead on Tyler’s, his sweet, cinnamon breath mixing with Tyler’s minty, fresh taste.

They sat there, clutching each other, afraid to open their eyes. Brad’s heart was beating so loud, he was sure Tyler could hear it. When Tyler finally spoke, his voice was deep, unsteady from lack of breath.

“Wow.”

Brad smiled, opening his eyes and watching Tyler’s face as he traced circles onto his cheeks with his thumbs.

“Yeah, wow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?? hopefully because you'll want to read the next chapters!! I can't believe this chapter is so late, and I don't really have an excuse other than that I'm a super nerd. I've been drowning in college stuff, but have no fear, I'm on a roll both time and idea wise for the next chapter. Thank you for reading, and I hope you were just as excited for Bryler's first kiss as I was!! oh and as always feedback is appreciated! xx


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY it's here!!! I'm so sorry this has taken so long, and I would recommend reading the last couple chapters before starting this one just as a refresher :) thank you for reading and enjoy...

“Wow.”

Brad smiled, opening his eyes and watching Tyler’s face as he traced circles onto his cheeks with his thumbs.

“Yeah, wow.

 

Tyler still hadn’t opened his eyes, but he could feel how the scene looked. Him clutching Brad’s half naked body, breathing heavily, hands trembling slightly. He didn’t want to open his eyes, didn’t want to have to think about anything else except how it felt to kiss Brad. He had been waiting for this moment for so long, he didn’t think he could build up the courage. But he had no idea what would happen after; he hadn’t thought it would actually happen.

He could feel Brad’s warm hands on his cheeks, along with his knees bumping against the inside of Tyler’s thighs.

“Ty, look at me.”

Tyler inhaled sharply; his hands on Brad tensing as he cracked open his eyes, meeting Brad’s. He met a look of concern, but also what Tyler hoped was passion. Brad smiled, his eyes crinkling on the sides the way Tyler loved. Brad reached up and ran a hand through Tyler’s soft hair, his eyes searching Tyler’s face for any lingering pain.

“You okay?” Brad spoke in a quiet, soothing tone, and Tyler couldn’t believe that after their kiss, Brad was still worried about his head. Obviously his head was spinning, but not from the reason Brad thought. Tyler nodded slowly, his eyes still on Brad’s comforting face, still taking in the way that Brad was taking care of him. He knew he should be trying to man up, wipe away his tears and go back to normal, but with Brad it felt right. It didn’t feel awkward, or forced, and when Tyler leaned in, he took Brad by surprise.

Their lips connected, and Brad felt Tyler’s hand running along his towel-covered thigh, like he couldn’t get close enough. He had no idea Tyler had this in him, wondered how long he had kept these feelings bottled inside, but now they were spilling out. Brad held on as Tyler pressed kisses onto his lips, cheeks, jaw line, blushing when Tyler pecked his nose before meeting Brad’s now ready lips. They moved together, breathing each other in, letting their hands fall where felt right. It was only their second kiss, but it already felt perfect. Brad felt like he needed more, gently licking into Tyler’s open mouth.

A loud knock on the door startled them both, Brad jumping back, hands falling from Tyler and down to the counter so he could catch himself before falling to the floor. Tyler’s eyes had gone wide, his face loosing all emotion, as if the person at the door had reminded him of the real world. The sound of the door opening came down the hallway as the guest let himself or herself in.

“Yo yo yo, how’s the patient?”

Tyler turned in the stool and met the tall gangly form of Dougie making his way down the hall. Running a hand down his jaw, Tyler sighed, thanking what ever power that Dougie had knocked first. He didn’t know what he would do if someone knew about him, or whatever him and Brad were.

“Hey man, how you feeling?” Dougie asked, making his way into the kitchen and setting a couple grocery bags on the counter. Tyler cleared his throat and smiled.

“Good, tired, but good.”

Dougie laughed. “Dude, you’re a sloth even without a concussion.”

They both laughed, and Tyler started to relax. Dougie was the youngest guy on the team, but he was way more mature then Tyler and Brad. He had been quiet at first, but as the season had gone on, he had grown more comfortable, and even had adapted the role of team therapist. He had brought Tyler and Brad food twice in the three day period, which was a good thing because the only food Brad kept in the apartment was captn’ crunch and ramen.

“Where’s Marchy?” Dougie asked, pulling homemade lasagna out of one of the bags.

“Umm…” Tyler looked around, not having noticed Brad slip out of the room. “He just took a shower so he’s probably changing.”

“Oh cool. I’ll put the lasagna in the fridge then.”

“No I can heat it up now,” Brad said, emerging from the bedroom door with his towel in his hands.

“Oh, hey Brad!” Dougie cheerfully greeted, and Brad patted him on the back as he tossed his towel towards the bathroom. Tyler took in Brad’s movements carefully as he made small talk with Dougie, trying to read his actions. Brad seemed pretty normal, joking around and flailing his arms around dramatically as he told Dougie about the movie him and Tyler had watched the night before. Tyler took in Brad’s outfit; a pair of shorts Tyler had got him from his deal with underarmour, and a red BC shirt that brought Tyler’s attention to Brad’s ever-wonderful shoulders. As Tyler kept watching Brad though, he noticed that as normal as Brad was acting, he was refusing to look at Tyler. He kept gesturing towards him, but had not once moved his gaze to Tyler’s curious form.

The conversation suddenly stopped, and Tyler’s mind was brought back to the kitchen. When he noticed Dougie looking at him like he was waiting for an answer, and Brad looking at the ground, he got nervous.

“Huh?”

“I was wondering if you remembered anything from the Winnepeg game,” Dougie helped.

“Oh, I um… well not really.”

Dougie nodded, and was about to say something else when Tyler stopped him.

“I remember getting hit though. I sort of felt my neck snap when he hit me, and I could feel myself blacking out. I really tried to stay awake, but my head was throbbing and I couldn’t get my legs under me.” Tyler paused, fiddling with one of the strings on his sweatshirt, not noticing how quiet Brad and Dougie had gotten. “I could feel him coming too, like everyone in the crowd was holding their breath or closing their eyes. Someone called my name, someone on the bench or something. Tried to warn me, but he still would have got me.”

“It was me,” Brad said, finally looking up and meeting Tyler’s eyes. Tyler met them questioningly. “I called out to you.”

Tyler could feel himself getting red; he knew Dougie was looking at them, witnessing one of their moments. But Tyler didn’t know what to say; he couldn’t look away from Brad. Brad who had tried to warn him that Thorburn was coming, Brad who had brought him back from his panic attack, Brad who had held his hand the entire ambulance ride to the hospital, Brad who had broken up with his girlfriend because for some miracle he was willing to take a chance on Tyler.

“Um, I’ll put dinner in the oven,” Dougie said quickly as he started ripping the tinfoil off the dish. He walked over to the oven, sliding the lasagna in and moving to set the timer. “How do I start it?” he mumbled to himself, and Brad snorted.

“The time button,” Tyler said, eyes still locked with Brad’s from across the counter.

“Yeah but where…” Dougie trailed off, and Brad rolled his eyes at Tyler and then sending him a smile before walking over to help Dougie.

An hour later, all three guys were stuffed, sitting each on a different piece of furniture in Brad’s living room. Each had an empty plate in front of them, multiple rounds of lasagna having been consumed in an unhealthy time.

Tyler let out a loud grunt as he moved to reach for his diet coke, feeling 50 pounds heavier.

“Should I tell Ference that his cooking is a hit?” Dougied laughed, and both Tyler and Brad nodded.

“Yeah man it was great,” Brad praised, running a hand over his stomach in content.

Tyler looked down at his watch, sighing when he realized it was only 8:30.

“What’s wrong?” Brad asked, slowly standing up and picking up his plate, before coming over to get Tyler’s.

“Nothing. I’m just ready for bed, like all the other 10 years olds in Boston.”

Brad let out a laugh, stacking Tyler’s plate on his and walking to the kitchen.

“Do all the 10 year olds have severe concussions too?” He yelled back, and he could actually feel the sarcastic eye roll he got in return. Even though he had been sucking face with Tyler earlier, Brad was surprised by how easily they had fallen back into the jokey and slightly abusive relationship that had always had. Obviously there were a couple times when Brad had caught Tyler looking at him, but pretended he hadn’t noticed, not wanting to think about what had happened yet. As he rinsed the plates in the sink, Brad started to think about what would happen when Dougie left. He knew Tyler knew what he wanted, because judging by the way he had kissed Brad he had been thinking about this for awhile. But Brad on the other hand had had girlfriends all his life; didn’t really know how being gay worked. Brad could feel his heart rate picking up as he started to panic. How was he supposed to go from dating girls to guys? Is that what Tyler wanted? What would the team think? What would anyone think? Would being with a guy disappoint his parents? How the fuck do guys have sex? Brad’s breathing was getting harder, and he could feel himself shaking. He tried to take a deep breath, hearing someone come into the kitchen.

“Hey, sorry I stayed for dinner. I’ve just missed you two’s wacky ways,” Dougie said, sliding his plate onto the counter and leaning against it.

“Actually,” Brad started, picking up Dougie’s plate and setting it in the soapy water. “I was wondering if you would mind staying a little longer.”

“Sure no prob, what’s up?”

“Well, I kind of broke up with Katrina yesterday, and I was gunna go drop her shit off at her apartment.” Brad heard Dougie breath in sharply, but when he looked up at him, he didn’t see a look of surprise, but more like the face of an all-knowing grandmother.

“And you want me to stay and make sure Tyler doesn’t do something stupid?”

“If you don’t mind?”

“You seriously think I have something better to do? Besides, I think the How I Met Your Mother marathon isn’t gunna end any time soon,” Dougie said, gently clasping Brad’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go now, I can do the rest of dishes.”

“Really?” Brad asked, but his hands were already wrapped in a towel.

“Yeah, take your time man.”

Brad half-smiled at Dougie, who gave him a quick raise of the eyebrows before hip-checking him out of the kitchen.

“Now go.”

Brad didn’t need to be told twice. The room felt hot, his mind crowded, and all he wanted was to breathe in the brisk Boston air and let his thoughts wonder. Grabbing a random jacket from the closet in the hall, Brad turned once more to find the shadow of Tyler’s head peaking up from the couch. With a final sigh, Brad opened the door and quickly left, shuffling down the two flights of stairs and through the building’s lobby, waving sharply to doorman Stan before pushing through the door and out onto the sidewalk.

In the days that Brad and Tyler had been hiding in the apartment, Boston must have been thrown in winter full force. The icy wind did not help the bitter temperature, and Brad had to pop the collar on his jacket to stop his teeth from chattering. _Why the fuck didn’t I grab gloves??_ Brad thought to himself, cupping his hands and blowing into them to try and keep the feeling in his fingertips. He picked up the pace, his shorter legs moving quickly as he got closer to his destination.

He knew his plan wasn’t very sneaky. Going to bring back Katrina’s stuff? What a fucking idiot. Dougie definitely knew he was lying when he ran like a puppy out of the apartment with nothing in his hands; no girly sweatshirts or notes. Come to think of it, Brad didn’t really think he had anything of Katrina’s that he would even have to give back. He chuckled to himself. Their relationship had been doomed from the start.

Brad had really tried to make it work. He knew he had been acting like a sucky boyfriend lately, not making many plans or sending cute texts. So the day before the game versus Winnepeg, Brad had decided to try and make it up to Katrina by going to her dorm room at BU and helping her study. When he had gotten there, she had been sitting alone in her room in a sports bra and shorts, and things had turned heated pretty quickly. They hadn’t had sex yet, but Katrina had obviously been on a mission. When she had gone to give Brad a blow job, Brad hadn’t been able to help the name that slipped his lips.

“Did you just say Ty?” Katrina had asked, sitting up and crossing her arms over her bare chest.

“Yeah, I just thought I needed to text him,” Brad tried to cover quickly.

It hadn’t been the first time he had thought of Tyler during his intimate moments with her, but after that day, he knew that he couldn’t keep falsely leading her on. When he had called her to tell her it wasn’t working out, she had cried, no she had sobbed, saying that it was always her dream to marry an NHL player.

Brad hadn’t felt as bad after she said that, but he still was confused as to why the relationship was a complete fail from the start. Katrina was funny, smart, and hot, but he just couldn’t get himself to put the full effort into it.

It was weird, usually when Brad went through a break-up, he needed a few days before he wanted to go out and actually talk to people, but he usually made it through with the support of Tyler… except this time Tyler’s advice to cheer Brad up had just been making out with him.

Goosebumps laced down Brad’s spine at the memory, but Brad quickly passed it off as the cold. He definitely didn’t feel as worked up as he had in the apartment, the night-time air clearing out his thoughts. He rounded the corner, and let his eyes fall on the large, open space that was the Boston Commons. The path into the park was icy, and Brad slipped slightly, catching himself before he could tumble down in the darkness. He glanced back an forth, relaxing when he saw no one around that could laugh at him, and then continued on into the park.

Brad often came to the park during the day with friends to play pick up wiffleball, but it always ended with some fans spotting him and screaming. At night it was so different, especially in mid February. Only a few people ventured out in the cold, and very little choose to hang out in the park. Brad continued into the middle of the commons, coming up along the pond that was frozen over.

Brad stopped as the sidewalk ended, the path down towards the pond blocked by snow. There was a bench nearby, so Brad wondered over, sitting down on the bench, flinching when his jean-covered butt made contact with the freezing metal. The night was clear, and looking up Brad could see the stars shining bright. It was a rare occasion that a Bostonian got to see the stars; usually the lights of the city outshine the natural dots. But deep in the park, with not many streetlamps around him, Brad’s view was a good one. The last time Brad could remember seeing the stars was when him and Tyler had been walking home from a club. Both of them had spent too much on alcohol to pay for a cab home, and the rest of the team had already left, leaving the two giggling men to find their way home. When they had made it to the park they had sobered a bit, and somehow Tyler had looked up and noticed the starry sky.

“Hey, Brad-poop, wait! Look at the stars!” Tyler had shouted, even though Brad had been walking right next to him. When Brad had looked up, the stars were shinning, and he felt Tyler grab his hand. “It’ sooooo romantic!” Tyler had sang, and together the two of them had twirled and yelled, all the way back to Brad’s.

Sitting on the bench, this time alone and sober, Brad knew he had to face his nagging mind. So much had happened in the past few days, especially in the last few hours, and Brad didn’t know where to begin. His mind immediately landed on the kiss. The kiss. How had he let that happen? Well, probably because he had wanted it all along.

Brad reached up and ran a hand through his short hair. He could actually feel the two sides of him answering his questions. On one side was the part that was daring, the part that had kissed Tyler back, the part telling him not to care what people think. But then the other part, the darker, real world part of Brad kept hitting him with reality.

 _Were his feelings for Tyler more than friends or was he just horny after he lack of action?_ Well, Brad could pinpoint multiple times when he had been checking out Tyler’s ass, or held on to his arms a little longer then needed when he helped him up. But it wasn’t just the looks thing; Brad could feel himself being pulled into Tyler’s voice when he told stories, never faking enthusiasm. _Okay, so I think I like Tyler, and I’m guessing he likes me. But could we even be a couple?_  This question had Brad’s reality side speaking up. Brad knew that Tyler had been in relationships in the past, but ever since Brad had known him, Tyler had been into the one night stand mood. Don’t get him wrong, Brad loved himself a good party scene, and Brad knew how frisky Tyler got when he was drunk. But if him and Tyler ever became anything serious, Brad would want to be the only person in Tyler’s life. _If they became a couple, a real couple, would they have to keep secret?_ This question had both sides of Brad stumped. Personally, Brad had no problem with gays, even had had a few best friends in high school who loved some dick. But there were definitely people in the world, people who he was very close to who would not be supportive. Brad himself was still freaked at how easy it had been to pull Tyler closer, but he felt Tyler had been surprised too. There was just so much that would have to be figured out if he and Tyler were to take a next step, and Brad wasn’t sure if he could handle it. Not with his prime years of hockey just starting.

Brad stood, flexing his cramped muscles, starting down a new path towards a bridge that crossed the pond. He was glad he had taken this walk and had time to think about him and Tyler, but he still wasn’t sure what to do. He knew he had to make up his mind now, before he went back to the apartment. If he went back to the apartment, _his_ apartment, and pretended nothing had happened, he knew it would crush Tyler, maybe even ruin their friendship, but would it be for the best?

Making it to the bridge, Brad was startled at the sound of laughing coming from the other side. He had yet to see people all night, but judging by the increasing noise, he was about to pass a loud couple of guys. Making it to the top of the bridge, Brad spotted two college looking men, both dressed in gloves and hats (obviously smarter than Brad) making their way down a path. They were talking animatedly, but walking slow, neither having noticed Brad. Suddenly, one of the guys looked down at his phone, letting out a gasp when he read whatever was on the screen. They both stopped, and Brad watched curiously as the phone was passed. It was quiet for a second, when suddenly the other guy threw up his arms and cheered loudly.

“No fucking way!” Brad heard him yell, smirking as the two jumped into each others’ arms excitedly, before pulling back slightly only to lock lips in a passionate kiss.

Brad stopped, only 10ish feet away from the couple, but feeling like he was watching a scene out of a foreign movie. How could they do this? Be so comfortable, and normal, but making out just on any old sidewalk? One of the guys then pulled back, whispering something that made he partner smile before pecking his lips once more and pulled away.

Brad started walking again before they could catch him gawking, and when his foot scuffed the sidewalk, the men turned, smiling brightly at Brad.

“’Evenin’!” the shorter blond man greeted, one arm still wrapped around his partner’s waist.

“Hi,” Brad responded quietly, not taking his eyes of the two men, who now had gone back to conversing, passing Brad in an energetic bundle. They were laughing, completely at ease, and Brad could feel the ache in his chest, telling him what to do.

The walk back to the apartment felt longer than before, but maybe because this time as Brad walked, he knew what he wanted. It had to be past 11 by now, but there were still the steady flow of car lights shinning on his face as he turned corner after corner. His hands were numb, his ears were stinging, and he could feel the beginning of a head cold making the way into his nose, but all Brad could think about was the man waiting for him in his apartment.

Finally, Brad turned the corner and saw the doorway to his apartment building, jogging the last final steps and pulling open the door, immediately feeling the blast of warmth hitting his exposed skin. The only light in the quiet lobby came from a small desk lamp on a side table, Stan’s sleeping form occupied the chair next to it. Brad snorted, reaching into his jacket pocket to search for money to leave for Stan, but instead of pulling out a five, his fingers found a tattered sticky note.

 

Borrowed $ for Dunkin. I’ll pay u back

        X0X0 T 

 

Brad tried to roll his eyes, but the thought of Tyler walking to Dunkin and back in Brad’s too small coat, it probably not even completely covering his long torso, and then freaking when he realized he forgot money, Brad couldn’t be mad. He started up the staircase, hopping the stairs two at a time, before coming up to his apartment door. The door was unlocked, so Brad entered quietly, closing the door gently before turning and glancing around. The apartment was dark, and Brad tried to slip his sneakers off quietly, unzipping his jacket quickly and tossing it by the closet.

The only light came from the soft glow of the TV, some old sit-com giving off the quiet sound of laughter. Brad entered the living room, coming up behind the couch, leaning over to find Tyler’s sleeping form, his head propped up against a stack pillows.

“He’s been out since you left,” Douggie said, and Brad looked up to see the younger man sprawled out on the floor in front of the TV.

“Yeah, I bet he has,” Brad responded, reaching down and pulling one of the blankets from the floor onto Tyler, spreading it out and making sure Tyler’s toes were covered. Tyler’s unconscious form snuggled into the pillows more, rolling so he was on his stomach, the pillows clutched underneath him.

Douggie watched Brad from the floor, noticing the way his eyes took in Tyler wholly and innocently. When Douggie had first met Brad, he had been scared of his brute reputation. Seeing him with Tyler though, Douggie felt himself smile, almost hoping that someone would look at him like that some day.

“Did you get everything straightened out?” Douggie asked, starting to stand up and fix his twisted hoody and jeans.

Brad looked down at Tyler again, before running a hand through his hair and smiling.

“Yeah, just had to figure a few things out,” Brad said, nervously looking Douggie in the eyes. The kid was making him anxious, his eyes seemingly filled with an unknown knowledge. Brad watched as Douggie nodded and yawned, stretching his arms up.

“Think I’m gunna get back home.”

“Thanks so much for staying,” Brad said thankfully, turning and walking Douggie to the door. “And the lasagna was great, I totally owe Ference for life.”

“The man makes a mean dish,” Douggie agreed, following Brad into the hall and to the door. “Hope you two can practice soon, we miss you guys.”

Brad turned, handing Douggie his coat and hat. “Yeah, it’s killing us to stay here all day without hockey.”

“I’m sure it is,” Douggie answered, and Brad thought he caught a small smirk on the ginger’s face before he felt himself being enveloped in a hug. The two hugged in silence before quietly pulling away. “I’m here whenever you need me,” Douggie said, hand still on Brad’s shoulder. Brad nodded, opening the door and letting Douggie pass him.

“Thanks again for everything!” Brad called after Douggie, getting a raised, over the shoulder wave in response.

Brad closed the door, keeping his hand on the handle for a second as he took in Douggie’s actions. Whatever the kid was thinking, Brad knew he was lucky to have him in case he needed help.

Locking the door, and checking the kitchen to make sure everything was picked up (and of course it was courtesy of the glorious Douggie), Brad quickly went into his bedroom, pulling off his pants and shirt, leaving on his navy boxer shorts and throwing on a thin white v-neck before flicking off the light and heading back to the living room.

He was startled a little when he saw Tyler sitting up, his head moving around, searching in confusion.

“Brad?” Tyler called, his voice deep and raspy, yet small like a kid.

“I’m here,” Brad answered, coming into the living room and standing in front of the couch. He met a very tired looking Tyler, rubbing his eyes blinking up at Brad. “Where’d you go?” Tyler questioned, and Brad swallowed as he remembered the couple in the park.

“I had to think,” Brad said, not bothering lying to Tyler.

Tyler looked up at Brad, his eyes now a little wider than before. Brad saw the look of concern and immediately leaned down to sit on the arm of the chair, closer to Tyler. Tyler searched Brad’s face for any sign of anger or sadness, but all he saw was the happiness that he loved, the bright green eyes filled with care and life.

“And?” Tyler asked, knowing Brad knew exactly what he was talking about.

Instead of answering, Brad, shuffled forward so he was sitting next to Tyler, having to look up slightly due to the height difference. Taking Tyler’s face into his hands, Brad leaned up, kissing Tyler’s perfect long lips.

The kiss was short, but Brad knew Tyler got his message, a smile immediately forming when Brad pulled away seconds later.

“Okay?” Brad asked, hands still supporting Tyler’s fragile head.

“Okay,” Tyler breathed out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you make it??? I hope y'all did! I had so much fun writing this, and focusing on the conflict Brad was having. I'm hoping to really develop their story in the next couple chapters! As always, thank you for reading, and feedback is appreciated!! 
> 
> ps. HOCKEY STARTED!! WOOOO GO BRUINS (and Stars cause we love Tyler<3)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!! Just a thought, but I would recommend reading at least the last chapter before starting this one to get a refresher... cause it's been so long... and I'm a terrible person.... but enjoy!

Tyler could feel the warm sun heating his bare back, giving him a sense of the time of morning. Normally he would pull the covers and pillows over his head to block out any sense of the outside world (definitely not a morning person…) but he didn’t want to wake the sleeping form pressed against him. Peering through barely open eyes, Tyler looked down at Brad’s sleeping figure, feeling the gentle puffs of breath against his chest, confirming Brad was still asleep. Brad was lying on his right side, face resting in Tyler’s welcoming chest. One of his arms was curled under his chin, his finger tips barely touching the warm skin on Tyler’s abs. His other arm was thrown carelessly over Tyler’s never ending waist, his boxer-clad legs tangled in Tyler’s own. Tyler’s arms were hung around the other man’s body, enveloping Brad and falling gently around his shoulders and back.

Holding Brad was very different from holding a girl, but the difference made Tyler tingle at the spots where they touched. Even after two days of cuddling and gentle kisses, Tyler was still amazed that Brad felt the same way as he did. When Brad had gone on his walk a couple days ago and left Tyler with Dougie, Tyler had fallen into a restless sleep on the couch, nervously shifting in fear that he had ruined whatever relationship him and Brad could have ever had.

But Brad had come back. He had come back and kissed Tyler, a short gentle peck that had confirmed that whatever they were, whatever they wanted to be, he was willing to try. And that’s all that mattered to Tyler.

The last couple days had been filled with lots of romantic comedies and reruns of Lost, always being half-watched due to the fact that neither Tyler nor Brad could keep their mouth away from the other for a long period of time, but could you blame them? Tyler had never meaningfully kissed a guy before Brad, and he felt like no matter how many times their lips met, he always would feel that slight shock.

Despite the fact that the rising sun brought with it a new day full of hours with Brad, this day was also one full of anxiety for Tyler. Yesterday, Brad had received a call from his agent relaying a quick message that he had negotiated Brad’s suspension and that as of then, Brad was good to go back to playing. Both Brad and Tyler missed playing hockey during the past week, but along with the absence of the sport came the time they needed to themselves. With Brad travelling with the team to Florida today for the game tomorrow, and Tyler hopefully back next week, their lives were slowly shifting back to before, and Tyler was nervous of what was to come.

When Brad had hung up with his agent and told Tyler the news, Tyler knew his disappointment must have shown through, because before he knew it Brad was back on the couch and snuggled against Tyler’s side.

“Just because I can play doesn’t mean I’m going to forget about you,” Brad had said, and from the way he had tucked Tyler in and kissed him slowly when they went to bed, just as he had the couple nights before, Tyler knew he meant it.

There was just so much that had changed from when they had last seen the team, and as much as Tyler knew deep down that they would be his brothers no matter what, he still was wary of anyone knowing about him and Brad. That was why he and Brad had agreed to keep quiet about their relationship (Tyler had giggled like a preteen girl when Brad said first called it that), and eventually work up to telling their closest friends and relatives.

But the thing was, no matter how hard Tyler tried to keep his cool and collected attitude in the locker room when the press was there or when a fan asked for a picture when he was shopping, he had a hard time hiding things from people who know him. And with his concussion continuously healing, Tyler was beginning to think more about how the different people in his life would handle learning about him and Brad.

A sudden beeping shook Tyler back the bedroom, the loud buzzing that followed signaling that it was Brad’s phone alarm. He felt Brad shift slightly, his breaths becoming shorter as he pulled himself out of sleep.

As much as Brad tried to push the noise away, the alarm won the battle, and Brad rolled himself over, flailing his arm out and smacking randomly on the side table in search of the persistent iPhone. Somehow, without yet opening his eyes, he managed to hit to just right, or maybe hard enough, and the beeping stopped. Brad fell back with a content sigh, settling back down against Tyler’s warm body, this time so his bare back was against Tyler built chest.

Tyler’s arms were quickly back around Brad’s waist, his cold nose at the nape of Brad’s neck, and Brad could tell by the nervous tapping of Tyler’s fingers against his stomach that he had been awake for awhile.

“Morning,” Brad croaked in his deep morning voice. He got a quiet ‘mmm’ in return from Tyler, but soon felt gentle kisses behind his ear, confirming that Tyler had noticed the rasp in Brad’s tone. Tyler moved his pecks slowly around towards Brad’s jaw, pausing to bite gently into the stubble-clad dip where Brad’s jawbone ended. The feeling sent shivers up Brad’s spine, and without thinking Brad leaned back his body, laying it so he was flush against Tyler from head to toe. The movement caused Tyler’s unknowingly morning hardness to come in contact with Brad’s firm ass, pleasure immediately pulsing out throughout Tyler’s body.

Tyler froze his movements, trying as hard as he could to be still, afraid of what any further movement might elicit. Brad could feel Tyler hardening against him, feeling himself twitch in response.

Despite their couple days to themselves, Brad and Tyler hadn’t explored past kisses. Neither of them had much experience with men, and Brad was constantly fussing over Tyler’s head, making sure he didn’t move too fast or do anything that exerted too much energy.

But it had been days, and Tyler’s concussion was far from his mind, the only thing he could think about being how smooth Brad’s shoulder blades looked in the morning light.

“Brad,” Tyler breathed out, his hot whisper being all Brad needed to push back against Tyler a second time, this time with somewhat of an idea at a target. His movement was tentative, but Tyler’s reacting moan was enough to bring Brad completely out of his morning haze.

Even with his initial hesitation to react to Brad’s movements, Tyler couldn’t hold back any longer, his hips now moving in sync with Brad’s. It wasn’t fast, but the slow grinding was enough to make Tyler’s arm clench around Brad, the pleasure increasing every time Tyler’s boxer covered dick met Brad’s covered ass. One of Tyler’s hands reached out and unconsciously locked with Brad’s, their pulses beating together where they met at the wrists.

Brad didn’t know what he was doing, letting Tyler’s need take over their movements. The moan’s filling the room were new to Brad’s ears; Tyler’s normally deep and loud voice being reduced to light and breathy grunts, each one causing a stir in Brad’s stomach. With the hand that wasn’t locked with Tyler’s, Brad slowly reached down to rub over the outline of his dick, finding it surprisingly hard even without much attention. He began to rub himself slowly, matching his movements with Tyler’s grinding.

Tyler noticed Brad’s movements, immediately feeling guilty that he had forgotten about Brad’s needs. Jerking up into Brad’s firm ass, Tyler reached over the older man, grabbing at his opposite hip and trying as hard as he could to get Brad to flip over while continuing his steady grinding.

Brad knew what Tyler was doing, not completely sure if Tyler was thinking straight. He was nervous, he didn’t know how two guys were supposed to do stuff like this. But Brad trusted Tyler, and he wasn’t about to stop Tyler’s motions. Breaking his hips away from Tyler’s, Brad shifted and rolled, giving in to Tyler’s pull. Then he was flipped over, hands falling on either side of Tyler’s still-fragile head to hold himself up. Brad’s legs were straddling Tyler’s waist, their bodies not yet touching, but the heat was there nonetheless.

Tyler’s face was what surprised Brad though, his cheeks flushed red in want, his lips pursed open to allow release of his quick breathes. What had startled Brad was Tyler’s eyes. The deep brown orbs were wide, still filled with want from the grinding; yet Brad saw a questioning look hidden in Tyler’s eyes, making Tyler’s young age show through along with that innocence that Brad didn’t often get to see.

“What’s wrong?” Brad said quietly, sliding his thumb over Tyler’s jaw stubble and watching him relax slightly, feeling a hand slide gently across his side.

“Can I, um, try something?” Tyler asked, gripping Brad’s side a little harder to confirm what he meant.

Brad knew they both were still hard, and the fact that Tyler was _asking_ Brad before continuing hit a soft spot, one that he had been feeling since their first kiss.

Without answering, Brad leaned down, capturing Tyler’s lips in his own, turning his head quickly so he could press harder onto Tyler’s mouth. Tyler reached up with the hand not on Brad’s side so he could run his fingers through Brad’s hair, twisting their heads gently, loving how it felt when their noses bumped.  Gaining the encouragement he needed, Tyler carefully locked Brad’s hips with one hand, and while continuing to follow Brad’s lips with his own, Tyler pulled the other man down to make contact.

The result was immediate, the pleasure quickly pulsing back through Tyler. Tyler watched as Brad pulled his lips away, leaving his mouth open and eyes closed as he exhaled loudly. Thrusting up into Brad again, Tyler watched as the older man crinkled his eyebrows, rolling his neck back and angling his body down onto Tyler’s.

Keeping one hand firm on Brad’s hip, Tyler reached up, running his fingers up and down Brad’s torso, taking in the way Brad’s firm chest moved as he started to grind down on Tyler. He was amazed at how concentrated Brad looked, his eyes squeezed shut, eyebrows furrowed, like he wanted every movement to be perfect. Tyler had been wary of how far Brad would want to go and how quickly, but from the way their motions were accelerating, Tyler was unable to analyze it any longer.

The sweet sensation was everything Tyler wanted, the feeling of Brad’s hardness against his own, only thin layers of cotton keeping them apart. They had created a steady rhythm, Tyler’s upward motions meeting Brad’s downward thrusts, their hips meeting with breathy moans and tightened grips. Letting go of Brad’s hips, Tyler ran his hands up Brad’s arms placed on either side of Tyler’s head, running his finger’s through Brad’s hair before pulling the smaller man’s head down so their lips could meet. The kiss was rougher than before, their tongues dancing and teeth bumping, and Tyler couldn’t help the gentle scratches he was leaving on Brad’s scalp and neck, he just felt so close to Brad, his heat enveloping Tyler. Tyler pulled on Brad’s back, bringing their bodies together, the grinding slowing but deepening with their new position.

Despite his multiple previous sexual encounters, Brad had never experienced feeling so close to someone. Maybe it was the intimacy of their first sort of sexual moment, maybe it was the innocence surrounding someone that has always seemed so confident and tough. Whatever it was, Brad couldn’t help the increasing speed of his heart as he felt Tyler’s strong wrap around his waist. Trembles started to sneak into Brad’s forearm that were cradling Tyler’s head, and Brad knew he was not far from hitting his climax. Tyler’s hips were fully against his own, their throbbing members kneading dangerously close together. Brad forced himself to pull his lips from Tyler’s, his hands cupping around the short curls that decorated Tyler’s head.

“Shit Ty,” Brad breathed out, his shaky words not enough to interrupt the movement of their hips, but bringing Tyler’s attention to how undone Brad was. Before Brad knew it, Tyler had his arms locked around Brad’s waist, and in an exceedingly swift movement Brad found himself tossed onto the bed and looking up at a newly determined Tyler.

A pang of worry spread through Brad when he saw Tyler’s glistening forehead, his racing heartbeat probably not supposed to be mixed with his concussion. But before he could voice his worry, all his attention was brought to Tyler’s lips that were back on his. Brad tried to match Tyler’s movements, but he was overwhelmed with the way Tyler’s teeth scraped his bottom lip, couldn’t do anything but give in to Tyler’s flexible tongue. Brad was so distracted by the sudden burst of control coming from Tyler that he was in no way prepared when he felt Tyler grind down onto him.

With his long torso arched to keep their lips locked, and his hands holding Brad’s biceps firmly to the bed, Tyler angled his hips directly into Brad’s, hitting him just right so that the part of their pelvises that met were their aching dicks. Brad gasped, feeling the rough slide of Tyler’s boxers catching on his. Tyler sped up, angling his body in a way that would have made Brad question Tyler’s man-on-man knowledge if he was able to think at all. Brad could feel the outline of Tyler’s member, long and thick, the heat it created causing Brad’s hips to jerk up unconsciously.

“Tyler…” Brad cautioned against the younger mans mouth, trying to reach out to slow his hips, but Tyler’s grip had him pinned. “Wait…”

Tyler stopped his movements, lifting his head to meet Brad’s glassy eyes. He kept his firm grip on Brad’s arms, his hips flush but unmoving against Brad’s, both men breathing heavily.

Tyler’s eyes were concerned, and Brad felt embarrassed that he had stopped them, but he just was just nervous to let himself go, and between that and his lack of breath, he was stumbling for the right words.

“I’m abou–, I can’t –, what if –“

“Brad,” Tyler stopped him, lowering his lips to the tip of Brad’s nose, across his cheek, down to his jawline, and stopping by the edge of Brad’s ear. “I know.”

And with that, Brad had no time for nerves, for questioning what Tyler would think, because Tyler’s hips were back at work, the burning pleasure in Brad’s stomach spreading throughout his body.

Tyler pulled away from Brad’s ear so he could look at his face, it having gone back to the squeezed-shut eyes and slack mouth. Tyler could feel his own orgasm coming, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of Brad. He had been imagining this face for so long, the face of utter pleasure and vulnerability that was the result of something Tyler himself had done.

When one of his hip movements elicited a sharp snap of Brad’s own pelvis, Tyler slid one of his hands down to interlock with Brad’s fingers, his curiosity and awe filling with lust as he watched Brad throw his head back against a pillow.

“F-fuck, fuck,” Brad cried, his hips now thrusting back into Tyler’s with what Tyler was assuming was involuntary motions, and Tyler kept a steady motion helping Brad ride his high. Suddenly, Brad’s hips stopped, and Tyler could feel the pulse of Brad’s cock against his hip.

“Fuck, Tyler,” Brad cried, and then his mouth was clamped shut, face red, veins in his neck highlighting his Adam’s apple. Tyler felt Brad’s grip on his hand tighten as his whole body clenched, the resulting warmth quickly escaping from Brad’s boxers to Tyler’s own.

Keeping his eyes on Brad’s beautiful face, Tyler shifted so that his boxer-clad dick was completely immersed in Brad’s new heat, and with one final jerk Tyler was coming, his body shaking.

“Jesus,” Tyler breathed, eyes wide open, drinking in the feeling of them together. They were like teenagers, experiencing and crossing boundaries for the first time. Except with Brad, Tyler felt like it meant more than any high school hookup, and as he started to gain control of his body again, Tyler wrapped one arm behind Brad’s neck and the other tight around his hips, rolling to his side so he could pull the shivering Brad close to him, pulling one of the strewn blankets up over them to trap in the heat.

Brad was dazed; he had not expected the wave that had lead to the complete surrender of his body. He felt weak, but in a way that made him feel whole and full. He snuggled into Tyler’s chest, pressing his head into the strong center, listening to the quick yet steady beat of Tyler’s heart.

They stayed quiet, wrapped up together in the early sun, the only noises accompanying their sighs coming from the already busy Boston streets below. Minutes later, when Tyler was sure Brad had fallen back into morning slumber, he felt the gentle prickle of Brad’s head nudging against his chin, followed by a quiet, “Wow.”

Tyler couldn’t help the giant grin that spread across his face, squeezing his arms a little tighter around Brad. “Yeah?”

Brad snorted, lifting his head of Tyler’s chest to look into his eyes.

“What do you mean _yeah_?” Brad joked, before looking away quickly and saying more softly, “I had no idea you had that in you.”

“No pun intended,” Tyler giggled, but not without taking in Brad’s words. He had never really talked to Brad about his experience with guys, but without asking it was pretty obvious that neither of them were very knowing. “But I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Brad rolled his eyes, but nonetheless brought a hand up to Tyler’s shoulder, running it down his collarbone and watching the way the pale skin sprouted goose bumps under his touch.

“Hey,” Tyler said gently noticing Brad’s unusual quietness. “You okay?” All Tyler got in response was a quiet “yeah”, the continuing light touches on his chest apparently captivating Brad’s attention.

“Brad,” Tyler uttered, determined to get the man to speak up. Removing one long arm from Brad’s waist, Tyler reached and turned Brad’s chin up, meeting some resistance, but ultimately gaining eye contact. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Brad,” Tyler spoke as gently as possible, confused at what had Brad so hushed.

“It’s embarrassing”

Tyler snorted, making Brad try to tug away again. Tyler wouldn’t budge though, holding Brad’s chin with his lengthy fingers until he stopped failing at moving away.

“I’m pretty sure it can’t be worse than that time when Coach caught you dancing to Britney Spears.” This made Brad finally laugh, easing some of Tyler’s growing nerves. “Seriously, you can tell me.”

Brad sighed, licking his full bottom lip before answering. “I just, don’t know anything.”

Tyler scrunched his eyebrows. “Anything about what?”

Brad sighed, eyes darting back and forth, looking for the right words.

“Brad, really I won’t laugh,” Tyler promised, hoping that whatever the older man said wouldn’t be too serious. He met Brad’s eyes again, raising his eyebrows in a final persuasion.

“Fine, I know nothing about… being gay.” The last part came out as a mumble, and Tyler had to bite his tongue so his mouth wouldn’t drop open.

“Seriously?” It was all Tyler could manage before he gripped Brad’s jawline tighter with his hand, leaning down and crashing their lips together.

Brad went from embarrassed to shocked to insanely fond in a matter of seconds, letting Tyler attack him for a few seconds before puckering his lips in return. The room was filled with light smacks and the shuffling of sheets as Tyler intertwined his legs with Brad’s tugging him closer before releasing his lips and returning his hand to hold Brad’s chin. Brad’s lips fluttered at the loss of contact, but he knew they should talk about how he said. Looking up at Tyler, Brad saw the awaiting eyes and inviting smile.

“Ok, well, I never thought I’d be saying this, but I just, don’t know what to do.” Brad blurted, and when Tyler held the same look, Brad took it as the queue to continue, this time words spilling out. “I know that we just sort of started this… you know, and I really believe that we can do this somehow, but we are both young and always horny and obviously I know two men and kiss and make out and stuff but I just, I’ve never really thought about how they go further you know? Well duh you know, but like I can’t just sit on my phone and google ‘How to be gay’ because I don’t need any bullshit websites telling me I need rainbow hair and tighter pants. I’m not changing who I am. But at the same time I have no idea how to, how to, you know, how to be with you. But then I don’t want to bore you because I’m sure you think my lack of knowledge is pathetic –“

“Wait” Tyler interrupted, reluctant to stop the rant he knew Brad had to get off his chest. “You think I have guy knowledge?”

Brad searched Tyler’s face for any signs of sarcasm, but found none. “Well, haven’t you been with a guy before?”

“Wha- Brad why do you think that?” Tyler was trying so hard not to joke because he could see Brad was being serious, but he honestly found it ridiculous that Brad thought he was this all-knowing wonder of a 21 year old.

“You said you had a thing with Kane in Switzerland,” Brad said, and Tyler would have threw his head back and lost it if it weren’t for the flash of jealousy that passed through Brad’s eyes.

“Jesus Brad,” Tyler said, releasing his tight grip around the now confused Brad to push him on his back. “Kaner and I got really drunk after one of the games,” Tyler started, pushing himself up so he could lay across Brad’s chest. “And we ended up making out under some stairs behind a club.” Brad watched Tyler’s face as he spoke, trying not to show that he cared about fucking Patrick Kane and his “perfect mullet” and his “incredible talent”. “But one of the bouncers found us and told us to leave, so Kane found some chick to go home with,” Tyler finished, noticing a disbelieving Brad staring up at him.

“That’s it?” Brad asked, waiting for some alternate ending or follow up story.

“That’s it.”

“So you didn’t, you know, have sex?”

“Nope, he’s not even a good kisser anyway,” Tyler said grin, thankful that Brad’s smile was starting to return to his face. “So no, as hard as it may be to believe, I don’t know what I’m doing either.” Tyler could feel the nerves leave Brad’s body at the words, his normal pulled lip shinny eye expression returning. Brad opened his mouth to probably some comment about Tyler being a sex fraud, but Tyler cut him off. “I want you to be my first.”

Brad’s eyes widened, the words sinking in, and with it, a sense of warmth that was filling him.

“I don’t want to rush, I want it to feel right. And with you I know it will.” Tyler was red now, and Brad again felt that protective instinct flare up inside up, along with the warmth coming with what Tyler was implying. “And no, I don’t know what I’m doing, but I want to figure it out. With you.” Tyler’s hand found the short hair behind Brad’s ear, gently scratching at it and staring at a spot on Brad’s chest, waiting for a response.

“Well, we’ll figure it out together then,” Brad said, reaching up and gently pulling Tyler’s head down so he could bring their lips together.

This kiss was much gentler than before, filled with less tongue and quick movements, but instead gentle movements and tightened grips. This time, when Tyler pulled away, both men were smiling, ready to move forward.

 

 

 

When they had caught a glimpse of the clock and realized the team flight left in a little over an hour, they had been forced to get out of the warm bed. While Brad ran around the apartment throwing his overnight stuff together, Tyler stood in the kitchen, walking from fridge to stove and back in search of whatever made sense to put in an omelet. As Tyler was just starting to flip the masterpiece of an omelet, Brad’s phone started vibrating on the counter, a cell phone number showing on the ID.

“Can you get that?” Brad yelled from the bathroom.

“Sure,” Tyler said before reaching towards the phone and answering it. “Sup, Brad’s publicist speaking.”

“Umm, I uhhh…” The confused voice on the other line stuttered, but Tyler could pick out the shy voice of Patrice Bergeron anywhere.

“Bergy?”

“Segs? Did I call the wrong number…” Tyler heard his teammate trail off, laughing at how clustered the centerman was.

“Nah dude, I’m at Brad’s, you’re not a screw up.”

“Oh right, Dougie said he brought you two dinner the other night. How’s your head?”

“Better, actually I feel pretty normal,” Tyler answered truthfully, wondering what else Dougie had told the team about that night.

“That’s good, maybe I’ll get my linemates back then?”

“Aww does someone miss me?” Tyler teased, knowing full well that his need to be back with his team was not one-sided. Brad came out of the bathroom just then, eyes questioning who Tyler was talking to. “Hey, did you need to talk to Marchy?” Tyler asked, mouthing _it’s Bergy_ across the kitchen to Brad.

“I was just gunna ask if he could pack his deck of cards because I can’t find mine anywhere.”

“Dude, you’re so weird,” Tyler laughed. Leave it to Patrice to find a way to get stressed over playing cards.

“Screw you man, it’s tradition!” Bergy retorted.

“Says the guy who hasn’t won a game of poker in 3 years,” Tyler snickered, sliding the done omelet onto a plate and turning off the stove.

“Hey watch it, I’ll steal your dog.”

Tyler couldn’t help snorting at that one. Bergy’s attempts at chirping were about as effective as his cards skills.

“Touch my dog and I’ll break your fingers,” Tyler pretend threatened, placing the plate on the counter next to a glass of orange juice he already poured. “Hey Berg, I gotta go help Brad, but I’ll make sure the cards are packed.”

“Thanks man, hope you’re cleared soon.”

“Yeah same, thanks,” Tyler agreed, saying a quick goodbye before hanging up the cell phone. “Bradley, your gourmet breakfast is ready!” Tyler called out to the apartment, and was met with an exasperated looking Brad, wearing dress pants and a very poorly buttoned dress shirt.

“I can’t find my navy blue tie,” Brad complained, dropping his overflowing duffel bag and running a hand through his hair.

“The red and white striped one would look good with that shirt,” Tyler suggested, and Brad disappeared into his bedroom once more, emerging quickly with the tie Tyler had been thinking of wrapped around his neck.

“Here, let me,” Tyler stopped Brad, unbuttoning and fixing Brad’s shirt before taking the tie ends and looping them through each other.

“You’re so corny,” Brad joked as Tyler tightened the tie and fixed his collar, hoping to cover up the feeling of comfort in the small action.

“So, then you don’t want me to kiss you?” Tyler questioned as he pulled Brad closer to him by his tie.

“Might as well complete the cliché,” Brad said, faking an annoyed sigh as his hands came up to tug on the pull-strings of Tyler’s hoodie.

Tyler smiled, leaning down locking his lips with Brad’s. The kiss was slow, neither man moving to deepen the touch, the light pressure enough to convey the warmth. Puckering his lips as he pulled away, Tyler kept his mouth inches from Brad’s, their noses bumping.

“You’re omelet awaits.”

“Thanks Martha Stewert,” Brad teased, standing on his tiptoes to peck Tyler on the forehead before moving towards the counter. “How’s your head this morning?”

“Fine really, headache’s not too bad,” Tyler responded truthfully. “I’m gunna call doc today and ask to take the concussion test again.”

“You sure?” Brad looked up from the omelet he was inhaling. “Wouldn’t want to make it worse”

“I’ll be fine. Seriously, if I don’t get cleared by the time you guys get back I’m officially ordering a new skull.”

Brad snorted, watching Tyler cross the kitchen towards Brad’s bag, bending down to paw through his carry on. Brad watched Tyler, well, more like stared blatantly at his ass, his static-filled shorts clinging to the muscle.

“Is your deck of cards still in here?” Tyler asked, snapping Brad out of his daze so he nearly choked on the egg in his mouth.

“Yeah, why?” Brad tried to ask casually, sipping the orange juice.

“Bergy threatened to take Marshall hostage if you didn’t pack them,” Tyler said, standing up slowly to avoid the inevitable head rush.

“That would be hard seeing that your Mom already stole him.”

“Don’t remind me.” Tyler was still mad that his beloved dog was in Toronto, having been staying with his family while the team had been traveling. He was supposed to come home this week, but when Tyler got his concussion, his Mom had ordered him to leave the lab with her so he could relax without trouble.

“Don’t worry Ty, he’ll come back soon. And when he does when can spoil him and let him sleep on the bed.”

Tyler paused, making his way towards the sink so he could lean back and watch as Brad wolfed down the rest of the omelet, acting like what he said wasn’t a big deal. Looking up and seeing Tyler staring at him and smiling, Brad stopped, mouth still full of food. “What?”

“Nothing, I just, you said ‘the bed’, like did you mean here?” Tyler didn’t know how to phrase it.

“Oh, well, I guess I assumed that you would want to stay here…” Brad trailed off, reddening as he realized what he said. He saw Tyler’s eyes crinkle up into a large smile, and Brad returned it wholly. “When I get back do you want to start bringing your stuff over?”

Tyler pushed himself off the counter, walking around the counter to wrap his arms around Brad’s waist while he continued eating. “As long as I can reorganize your CD collection.” Tyler leaned in to press a kiss to Brad’s temple. “Way to much Beatles.”

“Hey what’s wrong with Paul McCartney?” Brad exclaimed, his smile showing through.

Tyler snorted. “You need more country.”

“Brad Paisley squeals too much,” Brad countered, finishing his omelet and turning in Tyler’s arms.

“You’re just hiding the unavoidable man-crush,” Tyler said, pecking Brad on the nose before releasing him and reaching around to bring his dishes to the sink. Glancing at the clock, Tyler knew Brad would have to leave soon to get to the airport on time. “It’s almost 8:30,” Tyler said half-heartdly, kind of hoping Brad wouldn’t hear him.

“I know,” Brad sighed, and when Tyler turned, Brad had his suit jacket on, making his way towards his bags. Tyler went to the hall to grab Brad’s thicker coat, holding it out to him when he reached the hallway with his bags.

“I’m going to Miami Ty, I don’t need more coats.”

“You’re not there yet though,” Tyler argued. “At least wear it to the plane?”

Brad looked up at Tyler, seeing his jaw set in that stubborn way. “If it makes you feel better,” Brad gave in, letting Tyler set his bags down and help him into the coat.

“I don’t want you to be cold, or you know, get sick or something,” Tyler mumbled, smoothing out the wrinkles in the coat with his large hands.

Brad took in Tyler’s creased brows, how he’d placed himself so he conveniently blocked the doorframe. “Hey,” Brad said, taking the other man’s hands off his coat and holding them in his own. “It’s going to be okay.”

Brad didn’t have to say more, Tyler knew what he wasn’t talking about the stupid winter coat. “Yeah I know,” Tyler said unconvincingly, twisting his lips as he looked down at their locked hands. 

“I’m not gonna change my mind Tyler,” Brad said, watching Tyler’s eyes brighten as he nodded his head. “And if I get any calls from the hospital saying they found you passed out on the roof in hockey stuff I’ll kill you.”

Tyler chuckled. “My head’s fine.” Tyler knew he was making Brad late, avoiding the older man’s gaze and keeping their hands locked. He just couldn’t bring himself to be the one to say goodbye. But he knew they couldn’t stay locked in the apartment forever. “Text me when you land?” Tyler forced out.

Brad reached up, pulling behind Tyler’s head to bring their lips together. Tyler gave in easily, the soft pressure of Brad’s full lips the only thing he wanted to think about.

The need for air soon approached, and Brad pulled away with a quiet smack. “I’ll see you soon.”

Tyler nodded, leaning down again to capture Brad’s lips with his own one final time, before stepping aside to let him squeeze through the door. Making his way into the hallway to press the elevator button, Brad turned around to see Tyler leaning against the open door. Brad smiled a big, toothy grin, watching Tyler’s lips twitch up in return. Nothing needed to be said, both men knew what the next few weeks would bring. But they had each other, and as the elevator doors opened, Brad saw Tyler raise his hand in a short wave. Struggling to hold both his bags on one arm, Brad brought his hand up to blow Tyler a dramatic kiss, watching the lanky frame shake with laughter in response before he stepped onto the elevator. They were going to be okay, Brad was sure of it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did you like it??? I'm so sorry it's been like... months... but don't give up on me, I'm just having slight writers block. I know where I want to go, but I'm not sure how to get there.... if you guys have any desires or suggestions, let me know! I'm up for anything!! Thanks for reading, and go bruins (and stars)!!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I've written many fanfics before, but this is the first one I've posted. I have a couple more chapters in this story already written, I'm just waiting to see how chapter one goes before posting the others. So please, comment and give me feedback!! And thanks for reading!! oh and GO BRUINS


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